The Journey of Karuna: Ally of the Avatar
by th3rdhal3
Summary: SEQUEL to "Memoirs of Sankari", After Karuna reunites with Toph they come across the avatar and his friends. Karuna knows it's her destiny to help the gaang fight against the Fire Nation, but will she remain loyal this time? Katara/OC, Azula/OC
1. Earth Rumble Six

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender (...thought it would be pretty kick ass if I could xD )

**RATING:****M-**Mostly for language and some teenage innuendos, but things get pretty violent in later chapters.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am terribly sorry for keeping my readers waiting and waiting and waiting and...you get the picture xD This is the sequel to my first fanfic, _The Memoirs of Sankari: Pride of the Fire Nation. _Unlike the proceeding story, this one will follow the series from season two on to almost a tee except for the fact that one of the main characters is a creation of my own, so obviously things will be different too. So if you haven't already got an idea of what this fanfic is about from the title, then I do not know how to help you, sir or madam :p thanks and enjoy!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

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><p>"Toph, you know how risky this is." I turned away from my cousin, gazing off into the red and orange sunset with my good eye. After Azula's ridge-hand to my right years ago, my right eye could never see the same way again. In a way, I was like Toph, though my sight wasn't completely gone in that eye.<p>

My cousin strolled over to where I stood at the edge of the garden. She wore a beige and green tunic with a brown belt with little yellow dots. She adjusted the brown and green armbands around her wrists, then looked up at me. "Karuna, I have to do this. It's the only thing I have- it's the only thing keeping me going." She explained. I looked down at the younger girl. Eyes that had never seen the light of day stared back at me. I could never imagine being hushed away from the rest of the world; and by parents, even. People who loved and cared for you. My cousin had never been able to live her life the way she wanted. For twelve years, she had been denied this.

I exhaled, letting my breath tumble out of my mouth and join the night's air. If I had told myself once, I had told myself one-hundred times; _Toph can handle this. She's way more skilled than you were at her age. _I worried so much about my cousin, though I knew she was one tough cookie. I wasn't just worried that she could get hurt, I was concerned that her parents would find out about what she had been doing. Neither of us knew what their reactions would be, and quite frankly we didn't want to figure that out any time soon.

For months, Toph had been sneaking out of her home to fight in tournaments. She justified it as pre-teenaged angst, but I knew better than to buy that one. It was pure defiance. The same, in fact, that ran through my veins. This bond proved our relations to one another. And these tournaments she fought in, they weren't against just anyone. Toph fought her way to the top against the best earth-benders in the _world._ I should've been proud, and I was. Extremely proud, even. _My little cuz, _I mused. My dream had been crushed; my aspiration to be the greatest fire-bender. And it seemed unfair to do the same to her. For this reason, I _had _to let Toph continue her dream.

I leaned over and put my arm around my cousin. "You lead the way." I decided at last, smiling into the horizon. Her parents couldn't overprotect her forever, and I sure as hell couldn't either. Toph gasped in surprise at my change in decision.

"You're coming?" Glee and admiration lined her question, like a small child during a fun filled holiday. I patted her on the back and replied, "You bet. Earth Rumble VI, right?"

I was not fond of Xin Fu. Not in the least bit. Though the crowd the crowd cheered and applauded whenever he made his grand entrance as host, I still didn't care for him. To me, he seemed shady and money crazed. That was a reason why I wasn't as supportive of the tournaments Toph enrolled herself in; they were hosted by him.

It was just about a full house that night, except for the first five rows, of course. Oddly enough, I spotted three kids about my age, sit in the very front row. They seemed oblivious, so they must not have come there often. A chunk of the arena shot out towards them, shocking the trio; it was then when they probably realized why none sat so close to the action. Xin Fu earth-bended himself up from the center of the arena on a large rock column, and then addressed the audience.

"Welcome, to Earth Rumble VI!" Screams and applause sounded. "I am your host, Xin Fu. The rules are simple, just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" The host explained. After that, he jumped from the ring all the way up to his commentator's ledge, clearing the area for the fighters. The bell rang out and the first fighter made his way out onto the arena. He had big, strong arms and a charcoal colored tattoo on his back. "Round one! The Boulder versus the big, bad, Hippo!" The crowd roared. The Boulder's opponent was enormous! His bell was round, his feet were huge and a small puff of brown, spiked hair was atop his head. The Hippo growled, revealing four large, square shaped teeth. Though the fighter was big and intimidating, I doubted he was very bright. My bet was on The Boulder for that round. As the fight began, I put my arms behind my head and lay back. _Let the entertainment begin. _I thought to myself.

My bet had been a good one. The Boulder had one every single match so far. Many of the other earth-bending opponents ended up knocked clear out of the ring and painfully into the stadium and crowd. I couldn't help but notice one of the three kids from earlier. He was garbed in practically all blue and had his hair in the style of a 'wolf's tail', a symbol of the Water Tribe. So they were from out of town. The boy jumped up and down excitedly throughout most of the matches and he seemed to really be enjoying himself. I guessed that he was rooting for The Boulder, like most of the audience members were at that point. I had to admit, The Boulder had some good moves, but he was no match for Toph.

After a number of rounds and speaking in third person, it was time. Xin Fu returned to the center of the arena on a platform. The outer parts of the stadium dimmed and a light shined down on him so that he was the main focus. "And now..." the long haired man began dramatically. "The moment you've all been waiting for," That was the cue. I stood up in my seat, already anticipating what would happen next. "The Boulder versus your champion, the Blind Bandit!" The audience went wild, and so did I. I felt like an overly proud parent, embarrassing the hell out of their kid from the sidelines. But Toph probably appreciated it, seeing as how her parents weren't present to see her succeed in fighting.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" I cheered loudly, hoping somehow that she could hear me. Toph came to the middle of the arena and held the green and beige champion's belt high above her head._That's my little cuz._

The Boulder stomped onto the ring. "The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl." He stated, glancing cautiously at his opponent. Toph pointed a finger at him and laughed.

"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" she taunted. Yep, that was definitely my cousin. The muscular man glared at the small girl in front of him.

"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-alanche!" The Boulder's threat had no affect on my cousin whatsoever. She simply dished out the trash talk right back at him.

"Whenever you're ready, 'The Pebble'!" She mocked him. She then threw her head back in childish laughter. A thing I loved, yet hated about that girl; she was so confident and ready for anything. She was utterly fearless, that one. I wished I could be as headstrong as her.

"It's on!" The Boulder shouted. It was clear that he did not want to be intimidated by a little girl. He narrowed his eyes at Toph and began to think. He charge forward, and before his foot even touched ground, I knew he was toast. The sudden movement sent vibrations through the floor straight to Toph. She held her hands up at the ready and slipped her right foot out smoothly. The Boulder's left leg was suspended in air for a split second as he ran, but my cousin was faster. Much faster. She swung her right leg back and then drove it into the arena floor. A primary wave of rock shot out across the ground and as The Boulder's leg touched the floor, the wave directed that half of him sideways so that his legs were parallel and very spread out.

The Boulder howled in pain, for he had been forced into the splits. It did not look very pleasant. Toph drew her right hand up in ridge-hand form and brought it down Sudo style. Three rock pillars emerged, angled, up from the ground and hit The Boulder from behind, launching him right out of the ring. He face-planted against the outer wall of the arena and slid all the way down.

Toph grinned impishly, the same way she did whenever she won. She rose her fist in the air triumphantly. The stadium erupted in shouts, whistles and cheers.

"You're winner, and still champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced. The host hopped down from the ledge and joined my cousin at the center of the ring. "To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" Silence greeted the man's offer. It was no shocker, Toph was undefeated. It wasn't surprising at all to see no one in the crowd volunteer to fight her. "What? No one dares to face her?" Xin Fu challenged the audience, eyes scanning the hundreds seated in the stadium. I sat smiling ear to ear from my place eight rows from the top. I folded my arms as I watched with amusement.

All of a sudden, a friendly voice broke the silence. It called out, "I will!" Xin Fu and rest of the crowd turned to see who it could possibly be, At the far corner of the arena, a boy no older than Toph herself stepped on. He had been part of the trio I noticed at the beginning of the tournament. I wondered how someone so meek and humble looking could challenge someone so skilled and lethal as Toph; but then I remembered that things are not always as they seem, and that went for people as well. The boy had a traditional earth-bender warrior helmet strapped on his head. He wore a sleeveless tunic that was dark green with dandelion yellow edges. Like Toph, he was also barefoot. And something else...I would not have caught on if I hadn't been so intrigued by this kid. There was a light blue arrow on the top of each of his feet. My eyes widened. Even at my distance, I noticed the same color blue lines running down his arms. I had not seen these markings in half a year, and I had only known one another person to possess them. My sight was locked on him and only him, taking in his entire image. _No way. _My mind raced. _The avatar?_


	2. Taken

Wow, isn't this new? I'm actually updating my stuff frequently...don't get used to it folks, I just happened to stay home sick from school and had 8 hours to do whatever I liked :D buuuuuuuuttt I shall to update more frequently than I have in the past. Some quick things: As you may have noticed, in many scenes from the show, I kept most of the dialogue. This is because I want certain scenes to have the same feel as the cartoon, however, many scenes won't have anything remotely close to the same dialogue or actions in it, it all depends how the interaction of Karuna (Sankari) plays into the story, so just fyi. Also, **Deshi**, means apprentice/teacher's-student-helper also fyi. Thanks and enjoy :D  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

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><p>There was no way in a million years that my epiphany was correct. For one, the avatar was supposed to be over one-hundred years old. And second, how on earth could I have identified the markings on his skin from so far away? One of my eyes was faulty, for Agni's sake. The spirits must have granted me this sight, because though I was far back in the underground stadium seats, I could see everything clearly. The young boy facing my cousin was an air-bender. And not just any air-bender, the (second to) last air-bender-the avatar.<p>

Xin Fu shrugged his shoulders and bounded back up to his designated ledge. At least someone had taken the challenge. The match began. "Do people really wanna see _two_ little girls fighting out here?" Toph teased, sensing the leanness and stature of the boy. A chorus of "Ohs" echoed throughout the stadium. The boy raised his arms in defense. It looked as if he was trying to reason with her.

"I don't really want to fight you, I wanna talk to you."

The other boy whom the air-bender had been sitting next to cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Boo! No talking!" The girl beside him, also dressed in all blue, smacked him in the arm.

The young avatar took a pace forward, and Toph's keen ears perked up. She slid her foot out, sending a ripple effect of rock towards him. The boy jumped up and hovered down to the left, landing ever so lightly on the arena floor. Toph whirled around, in effort to locate her opponent. "Someone's a little light on his feet." She jeered, and I could sense a tiny bit of frustration in her voice. "What's your fighting name? The 'Fancy Dancer?'" Before the boy could answer, a chunk of rock underneath him rose up quickly, almost knocking him off balance. He flipped in midair, distancing himself from the rock and landed back down on the other side of Toph. Empty baby, blue eyes scanned the ring. "Where'd you go?"

"Please, wait!" The boy interjected. A small smirk returned to Toph's face.

"There you are!" My cousin spun around, lifting up a giant boulder from the ring floor. She chucked it forward at her opponent. The avatar hopped clear over the rock hurtling toward him. He brought his hands together, bent at the elbows, then pushed them outward, sending a gush of wind at the blind girl. The unexpected force hit her hard and knocked her down. "Ah!" She cried out as she skid fast backwards, and fell completely out of the ring.

Xin Fu stared down with wide eyes, griping the ledge tightly. The Boulder, who was icing the side of his head, had his jaw dropped in awe. I was pretty sure I hadn't breathed in those few moments myself. _How in Agni? _The kid truly was an air-bender. The stadium was dead silent for mere seconds before it erupted in cheers and whistles. I bounded down the large stone rows until I reached the first.

"'Scuse me, pardon me!" I half halfheartedly apologized to those in my path whom I nearly smooshed on the way down. I ran along the curved side of the stadium to where Toph had fallen. I needed to ensure her safety. I had to make sure the kid was alright.

The boy who had blown her out of the ring descended the stone steps as fast as his thin legs would allow him. By that point, Toph had already dusted herself off and was retreating, her back to him. "Please, listen!" He called out to her as she continued to trudge away. It was very clear that she didn't want to hear a word he said. "I need an earth-bending teacher and I think it's supposed to be you!" The avatar shouted over the noise level.

Toph never once looked back at him. "Whoever you are, just leave me alone." she demanded, discouraged from her defeat. She stamped her foot in front of the rocky cave wall, creating her own exit.

"Wait!" The air-bender ran after her. Toph stepped inside the black abyss and brought her fists together, closing the entrance in on itself. I jumped down from the stadium seating and landed down in the pit, knees bent. I approached the boy, whose hands desperately caressed the rock as if he too could bend it. He hung his head in defeat, a crestfallen look on his boyish face. He glanced up as I drew closer, and I could soon see every feature on his face; a small, round nose, perky ears, and large, gray eyes that made me think of Ty Lee for a split second. As he looked up at me curiously, I held him by his bony shoulders. I knew in the back of my mind that I needed to help. We all had to do our part in this war, and helping the avatar was mine. Our eyes locked, and for moments we simply stared at one another without saying anything.

"You need a teacher?" I asked, more like stated, actually. It took a moment for the question to click in the kid's head, but once it did a simple nod was all that was needed. "I'm going to get you a teacher." I crossed my fists in the air and then pulled them apart, recreating the exit Toph made. I sprang forward into the darkened passageway after my cousin.

Pellets of water hit my unprotected face as I stepped out from the cave in the mountains. I scanned every which direction, barely being able to see four feet in front of me. "Toph!" I called out to her. A loud clap of thunder sounded, drowning out my voice almost entirely. The rain came down faster and heavier. A blurry streak of light made a speedy quick appearance in the sky, and I knew it had been lighting, though I never expected to see it so close again.

I cupped my hands over my mouth, feeling the weight of my soaked sleeves weigh me down slightly. "Toph!" I hollered again, over the noise of the storm. My voice wavered and my diaphragm lurched. In response, I heard an agitated grunt and loud punch against something large. Pushing my sopping, wet hair out of my face, I glanced in the direction of where the tumult had come from. I ran over to a nearby boulder, about the size of a small house, and listened.

"Er!" Another frustrated shout was heard, followed by a kick that time. The whole colossal of rock shook. On the other side of the rock, was my cousin, pounding her fists into the massive stone; already, there were four holes, not including the times she had kicked.

"Toph," I approached her cautiously, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was. She hadn't heard me. I tried again, louder. "Toph!" She yielded, back still facing me however. "Please come back in." I tried to calm her. "There's something we need to talk about." Toph didn't reply. Instead, she leaned on her fists against the stone. _Maybe a different approach? _I thought. "Toph..." My voice was significantly softer and had a certain sense of security in it. "Are you okay?" I reached out a hand to place on my cousin's shoulder, but she spun around wildly.

"No!" She yelled unexpectedly, over the rain and winds. "I'm _not _okay!" I was pretty sure that her voice had echoed for away through the mountainous region. "I've never been 'okay!'" She pointed to her bright, blue eyes which no light passed through. Something inside me sank, and I felt her pain; frustration, anger, denial. I had a disadvantage myself, my disease that caused me to do things subconsciously. I knew what it was like to be different. I knew the feeling of being at the top and then getting knocked down to the bottom again. It was never a good feeling and it left a bad taste in my mouth, but it was a sensation I felt nonetheless. I felt for the kid.

"I _lost_, Karuna," The volume of Toph's speech descended a notch or two as he emphasized the word 'lost.' Thin rivers ran down her round, pale cheeks, and I knew they were not just from the rain. I offered my arms out to my cousin, and she accepted me gladly. She buried her face into my side and wouldn't let go. My arms wrapped around her small body and it felt as if I were holding a life-sized doll. "...and you had to see me fail." She whispered into my tunic.

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><p>Neither of us mentioned the tournament for the rest of that night. The main priority was getting her home safely and secretively during the thunderstorm. My cousin would most likely want to keep it that way, but in the back of my mind I knew that I needed to bring up the avatar situation to her. We couldn't run away from fate, and I wasn't sure whether or not we'd run into the trio again.<p>

The next evening, Master Yu and I joined the Bei Fong's for dinner at their estate. I had been working with children at the Earth-Bending Academy the whole day and a nice, hot meal sounded great to my ears. As we waited for dinner t be ready, I sat in between Toph and Master Yu in an elegant, golden chair. Toph's mother and father sat cross legged in front of us in more elaborate seats. "I'm pleased to hear that Toph's private lessons are going well, but I want to make sure she's not trying anything too dangerous." Her father, Lao, eyes Master Yu and I cautiously.

"Absolutely not." Master Yu replied respectfully. He looked over at Toph, who was once again, wearing one of her fancy gowns which she loathed with a passion. "I'm keeping her at the beginner's level; basic forms and breathing exercises only." It took a lot to contain myself from snickering at him. _Beginner my ass! _Oh if only the three adults present knew the truth. If only. Poppy, Toph's mother, made eye contact with me. The woman wore beads of Jade around her neck and a wreath of white and green atop her head, which contrasted her dark hair wonderfully.

"And you, Deshi Karuna?" I was brought back to earth as she addressed me. After all, I was responsible for 'teaching' Toph whenever Master Yu was busy. I regained my composure, and answered her mother well for a girl my age.

"Just the basics, ma'am." I repeated Master Yu's words with a gentle smile on my face. "Light stretching and very easy tai-chi." The Bei Fong's seemed to approve.

Toph's father nodded his head curtly and told us, "Very good." Just then, a servant entered the room. He was dressed in a long, dark green robe. He bowed his head respectfully at Toph's parents.

"Excuse me, sir." The servant addressed Lao. "But you have a visitor." Toph's father's face instantly changed into one of annoyance and agitation.

"Who thinks they are so important they can just come to my home unannounced?" I couldn't understand why Lao acted as if he were severely inconvenienced. It wasn't as if he was in the middle of anything important anyways. But I remembered that noble families tended to have those higher expectations of others.

The servant struggled to find the right words to answer Toph's father. "Uh, the avatar, sir." My ears perked up instantly and I turned my head to face the servant. Right beside me, Toph's eyes were as large as dinner plates. Her parents looked at one another peculiarly for a short moment.

The Bei Fong's decided to invite the avatar and his friends to eat with us. There was a wonderful spread of meat and many other delectable items on the table. The boy with the 'wolf's tail' scarfed down his food with such gusto I hadn't seen since Uncle Iroh. I wanted to do the same, but my stomach was churning; would the avatar bring up earth-bending training?

A servant came and delivered Toph her soup. "Blow on it. It's too hot for her." Toph's father ordered. I discreetly rolled my eyes as I helped myself to some more rice. They were always babying her. _I wish they'd get a clue._ The avatar pipped up from across Toph and myself.

"Allow me." He volunteered himself. He lifted his hand in the air and created a mini tornado of wind that twisted itself all the way over to Toph's bowl. My cousin was not impressed, however, her parents were, for they clapped for the neat trick.

"Avatar Aang," Poppy began sincerely. "It is an honor to have you visit us." The air nomad looked pleased and smiled humbly at her. At the head of the table, Lao raised his chopsticks up to his mouth but before taking a bite, he turned to Aang.

"In your opinion, how long do you think the war will last?"

"I'd like to defeat the Firelord by the end of summer," he began. I almost snickered again. _Yeah at your stage of the game, good luck with that one, kiddo. _The boy looked at Toph smugly. "But I can't do that without an finding an earth-bending teacher first." Toph frowned and glared at Aang. _The gig's up! _My heart pounded. _The kid's gonna blow it! _I thanked the spirits that Toph's father remained oblivious.

"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little." Lao praised Master Yu, who sat to the right of Poppy.

"Then she must be a great earth-bender!" Aang beamed, shooting Toph another look. She gave him another dirty look which seemed to say one-more-word-twinkle-toes-I-dare-you. Aang took her hypothetical challenge. "Probably good enough to teach someone else-" I felt her foot move on the ground underneath the table. A small surface wave reached Aang's feet, causing him to stop in mid thought. He jumped in his seat. "Ow!" The air-bender scowled at Toph. Lao raised an eyebrow, chewing a tasty morsel as he glanced at his daughter. Toph continued to eat as if nothing happened.

Master Yu intervened from down the table. "Toph is still learning the basics." By that point, Aang and his friends would've gladly joined me in a snickering fest. _Ha! Basics my ass! _I laughed to myself again. Toph's father agreed.

"Yes, and sadly because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master." The air nomad and the two Water Tribe members clad in blue, all paused their activities simultaneously and looked at one another. Aang spoke again, this time looking at me for help, to back him up. _He remembers. _I thought back to my first encounter with him.

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is." _That kid's pushin' it. _Before Toph could react, I slid my own foot backwards against the floor. Aang suddenly teetered forward and face-planted into his soup. He lifted his head, pushing the bowl out of his face; the contents had dripped all over his bald head, covering part of his blue arrow. The avatar glared at us. Lao glanced curiously at him, while Toph and I ate in silence. Aang wiped the soup out of his eyes and all of a sudden opened his mouth wide, ready for a sneeze. "ACHOO!" He pushed a large gust of air out of his mouth, sending food flying across the table and onto the opposite wall. Master Yu, Poppy, Toph and I had gotten the worst of it.

Toph slammed her hands on the table as she stood up. "What's your problem?" She demanded at Aang. The young avatar rose to his feet as well.

"What's _your _problem?" He yelled right back at her. Toph's father stared back and forth at the two. An unbearable silence seemed to fill the room as we watched the two glare at one another.

Poppy was the first on our side of the table to clean herself off. "Well," she broke the silence, wiping of the remaining food with her napkin. "Shall we move to the living room for dessert then?"

Later that evening, once Toph had cooled off, I persuaded her to give 'twinkle-toes' a second chance. "Toph, you're an amazingly talented earth-bender." I whispered to my cousin, as we made our way through the house and to one of the guest rooms. She wore loose, cream colored pajamas which looked elegant enough to be everyday wear. I wore a long-sleeved, button down green top with matching pants, all made of silk. "Aang needs the best teacher, and you're it." My cousin beamed at my praise but was still hesitant.

Aang was saying good night to his pet flying bison. The beast nearly gave me a heart attack as it peeked in through the window. Aang heard our footsteps as we approached and jumped around wildly, flailing his arms about in defense. I smiled wryly at the sight. Toph leaned against the flush threshold of the door. "Relax," she reassured him that they no longer had beef. "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" she apologized. Aang dropped his guard and stood before us normally once more.

"You two need to talk this one out." I stated my opinion. The avatar seemed to agree with me, but waited to see if my cousin would object to that. Toph left the threshold and made her way over towards the window.

"Come one twinkle-toes." She beckoned for Aang to follow her. "Let's walk and talk." She hopped out the window and Aang went with her. I smiled after my cousin, silently wishing she'd finally come around. If she agreed to teach Aang, then maybe he'd have a fighting chance against Ozai. The silence took over the guest room. I felt a little out of place and was bout to head to my own designated room when Aang's friends introduced themselves.

"I don't think we've met." The girl stopped me. She and the other boy both had darker skin and brown hair, only hers was much longer and braided. She offered her hand out to me. "I'm Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka."

The older boy lounging about the pull-out couch sat up for a brief moment and waved goofily. I already had him figured out as the jokester type. "Glad to meet ya." Sokka greeted me. I took Katara's hand, which was smooth and soft compared to my rough and callused fingers.

"My name's Karuna." Katara smiled warmly at me.

"That's beautiful." She complimented, blue eyes sparkling. I began to blush in result of her nice comment.

"So is 'Katara'." I returned the compliment. So far, she and I were off to a good start. "You know, to be honest, I haven't seen many people from the Water Tribe in these parts." I told them.

"Yeah, we kind of stand out, don't we?" Katara's question was rhetorical. "We had never actually left the South Pole until we found Aang." She admitted.

Sokka lifted his head off a couch cushion to butt in. "In an iceberg." He clarified. I nodded my head, then did a double take once I realized what he had just said.

"An iceberg?" I repeated.

"Thaaaat's riiight." He replied all perky like.

"Well, it's a long story," Katara began to explain more in depth. "But Sokka and I found him frozen in an iceberg. He had been trapped inside for one-hundred years. So Aang is really-"

"One-hundred and twelve." Sokka finished, interjecting once more. Katara turned to glare at her brother, hands on her hips. I was tempted to laugh, but I held it in. _Siblings_. I thought to myself. It kind of reminded me of Zuko and Azula, except less violent.

"Oh, you want to tell the story, now?" She asked, knowing what his response would be anyways.

"No, no," Sokka insisted, waving his hand at her. "You're doing such a wonderful job as it is." I chuckled softly. I had only talked to Sokka for two minutes and already I thought he was hysterical. _I like him, he's funny. _

"So the three of you are traveling alone?" I asked. "No parents, no nagging?" After spending so much time with Toph and her parents, it made me think that everyone child my age and younger was babied and pampered to the point of suffocation.

"Well, as you know, Aang is a monk." I nodded. How could I forget?

"Who's one-hundred and twelve." Sokka added. "Don't forget that." Another dirty look from his sister shut him up. "Okay, okay, sorry. Story time-your thing." The Water Tribe boy flopped back down on the couch, and remained quite. Katara continued without any interruptions from the peanut gallery.

"Our dad is out fighting in the war with the rest of the men from our village. It's been almost three years since we've seen him. But our mother..." she paused for a moment, and I already assumed what she would tell me next. "We lost her many years ago to the Fire Nation." All the pain and sorrow that I escaped upon my arrival in Gaoling came back and struck me like a knife. _How horrible. _These kids had to grow up without a mother. _Just...just like me. _This wasn't just any war, it was _our _war as well.

"The same thing happened to my family." I stared at the ground, my eyes stationary. "My father fought in the war too. Now I have no one." Katara looked at me with a face that had endured the same pain and loss as I had. She drew closer.

"I'm so sorry." Her words came out as a whisper as she took note of my scar over my right eye. She brought her hand up to my face and traced the wound, gently with her thumb. Her actions had a mother-like feel to them and for whatever reason I felt comfortable letting this girl, whom I barely knew, lay a hand on my face. I didn't pull away from her touch, I allowed her to feel my pain, my hurt. I wasn't like Zuko; I wasn't ashamed of the mark on my face. It had happened years ago and that was that. It was simply a reminder of who I had once been. Stormy colored eyes stared into clear blue for a long time. And just for a second I felt hope as I felt like the sea, calm and still after a storm.

Vibrations from outside forced me to come to grips on reality. I turned sharply to the right, and Katara removed her hand from my face. Out of Sokka's green and yellow satchel, their flying lemur leaped out and bounded over to the window sill. It chattered anxiously as it peered out into the night. "What is it, Momo?" Katara asked the white and brown creature. The three of us heard a loud din out in the garden. _Toph! _My mind raced. I jumped clear out of the window, and the other two were at my heels.

We crossed over the bridge and the pond, calling out their names. I scanned the estate. There was no sign of Aang or Toph. The Bei Fong's and Master Yu also heard the noise and joined us outside. The six of us reached the bordering wall of the property in mere minutes. A trail of upturned earth made a 'J' shape on the ground. And not too far from that, two, deep square indents were left in the earth. A sword pinned a scroll into the ground between the two indents. Sokka reached down and plucked the weapon out of the dirt. "Whoever took Aang and Toph left this." Katara pulled the scroll off the blade and unrolled it. I glanced over her shoulder at the characters on the page.

"If you want to see your daughter again, bring five-hundred gold pieces to the arena." The Water Tribe girl read, loudly and clearly. "It's signed by-"

"Xin Fu and The Boulder." I finished, pounding my fist into my open palm. _I hate him. I knew he couldn't be trusted! _And overwhelming sensation of rage swam through my body. They had kidnapped the avatar and my cousin.


	3. Round II

Holy Hell...it has been forever and a day since I've updated :O please don't yell, scream or throw sharp objects at me please! A thousand and one apologies my faithful readers! Here is another chapter, hopefully next update will not take nearly as long!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

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><p><em>"Runa! Runa!" The little girl hollered as loud as she could. She leaped out of her nice, warm bed and to the other side of the room. A loud clap of thunder made the young girl scream again as she dove under the covers of the bed across from hers. The blankest rustled and a slightly older child emerged, thoroughly annoyed; she had been woken from a deep sleep. The older girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes and peered out into the darkness, glaring at the younger one who had invaded her space.<em>

"_What is it?" she demanded in a childish voice. The littlest one scooted closer to her cousin, burying herself deeper into the older girl's side. "Auntie no want you running by yourself!" The older one scolded, grammatically incorrectly. Just then, a flash of white light appeared out the window, lighting up the sky. Soon after, the thunder came crashing down, practically trying to shatter the sky. The littlest one burst into tears. The older one sighed and scooped up her younger cousin. Though the toddler could not see the lightning, she could definitely hear the thunder and the noise frightened her. The older girl comforted the small one from the raging storm. "I protect you." She whispered, as the young toddler rested her head against the older one's arm. "I protect you always."_

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><p>My blood boiled under my skin and my face grew hot; almost to the point where I thought I would fire-bend again. <em>No. <em>They had her. My cousin. _Scumdogs! _I cursed in my head. I would kill them, I'd kill them all. Every last one of them. After a few moments of silence, Lao was first to speak.

"Master Yu," He addressed the earth-bending teacher. "I need you to help me get my daughter back." The he tried to contain his voice, worry and desperation lined the edges of it. Before anyone could say anything, I stepped in.

"I'll get her back." My knuckles cracked as I felt the nails on my fingers dig into my palms. I began to stalk off towards the entrance of the estate. Katara called out after me.

"Wait, we're going with you." I paused for a few moments to reflect on my decision. "Aang's missing too," she added. "We'll help you get them back." Of course. How could I have been so selfish? It wasn't only my cousin who had been taken captive, but the young avatar as well. We had to save both of them, and our best bet was to team up. It would be stupid of me to try and rescue them on my own. Knowing Xin Fu, he probably had something up his sleeves. I drew in a deep breath before turning around to face the Water Tribe girl.

"Alright." I agreed, rejoining them. "But we need to get to the arena, and fast." A small smirk took over Sokka's charismatic face.

"Ever traveled by flying bison?"

In a matter of minutes we were airborne, and I nearly thought I would faint once my stomach dropped. I gripped onto the sides of the bison's saddle for dear life. Never in my fourteen-and-a-half-years had I ever once imagined to be so high in the sky as I was then. "So, I'll take that as a 'no'." Sokka chuckled, poking some fun at me. I blushed slightly and forced myself to laugh as well. I must admit, I must have looked pretty silly holding onto Appa's saddle like there was no tomorrow, but Master Yu and Toph's father looked pretty spooked as well. Appa flew swiftly and smoothly all the way to the mountainous landscape of Earth Rumble VI. I stroked the beast's furry side as he descended gradually.

"Good boy." I praised him.

I created my own door into the arena. "Er!" I growled as I punched my way through the walls of rock. The others followed me into the stadium and up the stairs leading to the ring. Two steel cages hung down from the ceiling by chains. In one was Aang and lower to the left was the one that Toph was held in. _Cages. Fucking cages. _I fumed. In his hand, Sokka held the green sack full of gold pieces. "Here's your money." He tossed the it at Xin Fu's feet. "Now let them go." The tournament host bent down to retrieve the pouch. He beckoned for the cage to be lowered. Once on the ground, the latch was opened and Toph burst out, running to us. I caught her in an embrace.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She squeezed me tight.

"I'm fine." she reassured me. Then, her father soon ushered her out and Master Yu motioned for me to follow them to safety. I hesitated; something wasn't exactly right about this transaction.

"What about Aang?" I hear Katara question Xin Fu behind me. The avatar was still held high up in a metal cage. Xin Fu held up a poster with a sketch of Aang on one side. I knew what it was instantly. I had seen many similar ones in my lifetime; it was a Fire Nation wanted poster.

"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the avatar. Now get _out _of my ring!" The long haired man demanded. _Tricky bastard!_ I cursed internally. Aang would not be sold over to the Fire Nation. I couldn't let that happen and I wouldn't. I found my voice once more.

"You and what army?" I grunted, taking a stand alongside Katara and Sokka. A whirlwind of earth appeared in one corner; the Fire Nation earth-bender. Up above, the bender with the green and red face mask dropped down from the rock stalagmites. One by one, each of the opponents who Toph had battled made their entrance and gathered around Xin Fu and The Boulder. I gulped, cursing my rotten luck and big mouth.

"Um, _that _army." Sokka pointed with his boomerang. I shot him an annoyed glance and he quickly got the message. There was three of us against seven of them. Things didn't look too good.

"Go, I'll be okay." Aang waved an arm outside of the bars of his cage up above us. That boy was so selfless. It was then that I knew I couldn't retreat. Aang was fighting for everyone in this war, it was my turn to fight for him. The Water Tribe brother and sister looked at one another uneasily and began to back away, but I still held my ground. Nothing said was going to scare me away from helping Aang.

"You think you're so big and bad that you can win this one?" Xin Fu stared me down, most likely taking note that I was barely a teenager. I never looked like much, never looked like I could pack a punch. But spirits, I could. "Follow your little friends and scram, punk!" I could feel the anger level rise as I clenched my fists tighter; I wanted to drive them clean through his head.

"Listen, jerk-off!" I spat right back at the greasy haired fighter. "I've never liked you or any of your games. So let him go, or you're about to enter a world of hurt that you don't even want to know." I threatened. Xin Fu seemed intrigued, but more agitated than anything.

"Is that so?" He egged me on, trying to call it off as a bluff. But hell, I wasn't bluffing; not even exaggerating. I meant every word of my threat. Familiar footsteps sounded behind me, and I turned to my left to see Toph approaching. My cousin stood beside me and raised her arms up in defense.

"You better do what she says. It'd suck for you to get your ass beat by two little girls." She taunted. I was surprised by Toph's use of language while her father was present. "I've beat you all before and I'll do it again!" The opposing earth-benders paused for a moment, after fishing down Aang's cage. They locked us in their sights as targets. Aang's cage was tossed to the side of the ring by The Hippo and I hoped the poor boy inside was okay. The earth-benders advanced on us. Sokka and Katara ran to aid us, but Toph held her arms up to stop them from drawing nearer. "No. This is something we need to do." They charged us. A quick look from Toph was all I needed. I waited anxiously for her first move. She began loosening the rock on the arena floor; I could hear it slide as our opponents drew nearer. Toph then slammed her foot down onto the floor. I pushed my arms out quickly and together we shoved the earth-benders back into the a heap at the center of the ring. A large, hazey cloud of dust rose up from the ground. _Perfect. _I grinned, and I knew Toph must have been thinking the same thing. The two of us entered the dust cloud, ready to show these guys how the blind/half blind girls kick it. Toph took the left and I stayed on the right.

The Fire Nation earth-bender looked around wildly, trying to wave the dust away as he did. In my opinion, his whole costume looked ridiculous. The main problem though, were the shoes. He caught sight of Toph and nearly wet himself. He regained his composure quickly and twisted sideways to bring up large amounts of earth. Toph side stepped, missing the attack by mere inches. She moved her open hands counter clockwise, and a rock formation hit the Fire Nation earth-bender on the left. The caped moron flew out of the ring and hit the stadium seats.

The fighter with the green mask crawled on all fours, searching for the two of us. I spotted him first and and chucked a rock at his head. He turned around to face me. My opponent sprang up and hurled two sphere shaped rocks, the size of my head, at me. I raised my left arm up quickly and broke one in a block, then punched the other in two with my right. He leaped forward at me, but before his hands and knees touched the ground again, I drove my heel into the floor and a rock column shot up, hitting the masked earth-bender so hard in the gut that he joined the Fire Nation earth-bender in the stadium.

The ground began to rumble and the sound of shifting rock could be heard. The Gopher emerged from underneath, aiming a small boulder at the back of my cousin's head. _No! _I sprang forward in a hurry, but Toph spun around, catching the boulder in one motion and hurled it back. The force of her throw sent The Gopher clear out of the ring as well.

Toph had thrown The Boulder out of the smoke cloud and I had managed to confuse the Hippo that he followed suit. The dust was beginning to reside back in the ground by that time. I raised my fists up and got ready to dash at our oncoming opponents, when Toph grabbed the back of my uniform. She planted her foot firmly on the floor and extended her free hand outward. Seconds later, the symbol we stood upon was rotating. I couldn't tell what my cousin had planned and for a moment there, thought she had finally lost it. The Hippo and Boulder where on us in a flash and were ready to bring down some hurt. I braced myself, ready to feel the pain of he large flat stone the Hippo held. Suddenly, another earth-bender with a vibrant colored face mask and wild long, brown hair swung into the other two, taking them both down with him. I blinked in awe. Once again, my cousin had saved my neck. "Thanks, kid." I grinned, relieved. She reached up to pat me on the back.

"It's not over yet." She reminded me. And indeed it was not.

At the opposite end of the ring, Xin Fu stared us down. I hated the way he looked at us, as if we were inferior, like we were nothing to him. I wanted to end him. I wanted to destroy him. "Think you're so big and bad that you can win this one?" I repeated his words. "Why don't you follow your little friends and scram?" I glanced over at the pile of beat and defeated earth-benders out on the sidelines.

"Yeah, blockhead!" Toph teased wittily. I looked down at her for a moment in silence. She felt the uncomfortableness soon after and explained herself. She stamped her foot on the floor and up came a cube shaped stone. "Get it?Block-head?" I shook my head at her joke, desperately wanting to giggle alongside her. But there was a time an place for kidding around, and now wasn't exactly the best time.

"Eh, let me come up with the snappy remarks." I messed with her. Toph didn't get the nature of my joke and crossed her arms in a discouraged fashion. It probably would have helped had she _seen _my facial expression.

Xin Fu cracked his neck twice, loudly, and readied himself to take on the both of us. Unlike the our other opponents, he didn't rush into the attack. He was cautious and careful. We circled with him around the center of the ring. Each moment spent, the bottoms of my feet grew more sweaty in anticipation and anxiety. Would we have to make the first move? _Come on, you asshole, come on. _The tournament host then sent an upper-cut through the air, sending a boulder my way. I went into a back-bend with ease, and missed the rock by only a handful of centimeters. _Good 'ol flexibility. _I thanked the spirits that that was one skill of mine that hadn't been weakened at all over the last five months.

Xin Fu kicked his legs up wildly, twisting his body in all directions as he sent boulder after boulder at us. I face d the stones head on, breaking them directly down the center, letting them fall to pieces. But since Toph could not see the rocks flying through the air, the blind girl slanted the ground in front of her upward into a shield, and the boulders bounced off if, missing her. Toph pushed half of her make-shift shield at Xin Fu quickly, but the host was brighter and more skilled than our other opponents, and flipped mid air to avoid the projectile. On the way down, Xin Fu dug his open hand into the ground. Toph side stepped just in time, barely moving before more rock was thrown her way. I reacted quicker than I ever had in situations like these. _That's my cousin, you prick! _I pounded my whole arm into the stone floor, taking full advantage of the moment. An enormous, rough and rocky surface wave hit the unprepared fighter dead on and sent him airborne. He crash landed in between Toph's father and Master Yu in the stadium seats.

My throat was dry and it burned all the more once I swallowed. My heart must have been beating three-hundred beats a minute, which was almost exactly how I felt whenever I was with Azula, strangely enough. I didn't even wonder how I made such an odd connection as my heart felt as if it would pound its way out of my chest. The drive had found its way back to me. The thrill of the fight, the rush of adrenaline. It was something I hadn't experienced in a long time, and it felt so good then. I felt as strong as before. I felt alive.

I slowly drew back up to stand from my crouching position on the arena floor. I moved sluggish and cautiously to calm myself as well as my nerves. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aang, and I knew the other two had managed to find a way to bust him out of his imprisonment. They must have freed him in the heat of mine and cousin's fight. The avatar's face was filled with awe and admiration, and he grinned from ear to ear. A similar expression could be found on Sokka and Katara's face as well. I could only imagine what Toph's father and Master Yu's expressions would be at that point. I didn't even bother glancing up into the stadium to find out.

Toph was still a few yards away to my right and it looked as though she was catching her breath too. "Toph," I approached her. "This was your fight, I'm sorry." I apologized, but my cousin didn't seem to be angry or upset in any way, shape or form. Instead, the young, blind girl simply listened. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I had to take him out. I had to. Had to show him," I panted, realizing I was more out of breath than I thought I was. "Had to show him that no one, I mean no one-I don't care who the hell you are, no one fucks with my family." A sly smile crept up my cousin's face and it turned into a larger genuine one. "No, not while I'm still here." Toph reached up on her tip-toes to hug me, and in those short moments, my life felt whole again; I wasn't an orphan on the run from the only place I'd ever known. I had a family. _She _was my family. Then that moment died completely once she punched me square in the shoulder. I winced and pulled away from her embrace. _The hell? _I really wanted to smack the kid right back, but remembered that mild violence was her way of showing affection, and accepted the hit under different circumstances.

"It's okay, Sifu." Toph put her arm around me. "I think it was supposed to happen this way. We make a good team." My cousin grinned broadly, reassuring me. "Cut the sentimental crap though. If you get antagonizing come-backs, then I claim heart-to-hearts." I laughed at the younger girl beside me. We were alike in more ways than I imagined. In a way it was like having a littler version of me around, except more bad ass.

"Language young lady." I warned, playfully.

"Yes ma'am." Toph responded in her fake polite voice which I heard from her much too often.

I glanced up into the stadium to see Lao and Master Yu still gawking at the scene. The mens' jaws had dropped so far, I was sure they would have hit the floor. Of course they never expected a blind girl to able to fight like this. She was "tiny and helpless" in their eyes. But Toph never appeared that way to me; in fact the only time I saw Toph's baby blue eyes widen immensly with worry was the moment I asked her this:

"What are you gonna tell your parents?"


	4. Change In Plans

By now all of you probably want to kill me D: I am soooooooooooooooo sorry I've been dragging ass in these updates! These past few months have taken a number on me, and so many thing have come up that have prevented me from writing/updating stories. I am happy to say that finals are here and then summer so I'll have sooo much time to write and keep everyone happy! So here's another chapter and your long and bothersome waits should be over for a while :D enjoy!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

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><p>"Dad, Mom," Toph began with a shaky voice. Everyone was present in the manor after the incident at the arena. I stood beside my cousin as she confronted her parents. The Avatar and his friends waited patiently on the bench behind us. "I've been hiding this for a very long time and it's probably hard for you to see me this way, but I'm not the helpless little blind girl you think I am just isn't me." I shook my head ever so slightly in agreance. "I love fighting, I love being an earth-bender." Toph grinned happily, pouring her heart out to them. "It's part of me; something I can't change." Lao eye his daughter, listening carefully as well as trying to see where she was coming from. I knew breaking it to her parents would be difficult, but I couldn't see the reactions on their faces because they were unreadable. "I know I've kept this from you for a long time, but you kept <em>me <em>away from the rest of the world." My cousin argued a strong point. "I know you were only doing it to protect me but I'm twelve years old now and I've never had a real friend," She paused slightly and then glanced up at me with sad, blue eyes. "Except Karuna." The room stood silent for a few moments. No one dared to say a word; the silence was deafening. It drove me nuts knowing that Toph's parents sat perched upon elegant chairs in fine robes, yet could not find their voices nor their speech in that moment.

Toph shifted on her feet briefly and ended the silence. "And now that you know who I really am, it's time for you to know another thing." I could feel heat rising from my face and the pounding of my heart as I predicted her next statement. The smaller girl reached up and placed a hand on the back of my shoulder blade. "Karuna isn't just any Earthkingdom girl. She's my cousin and your niece." Poppy's eyes widened significantly and she glanced sideways at her husband in order to see his thoughts through expression. Both pairs of eyes were on me then, and I could tell they were examining me, searching me for a plausible answer.

Lao, after a long time of pondering, ordered, "Show us the back of your neck." He beckoned for me to come forward. I knelt down before the Bei Songs and bent my head down. Then, I pushed all of my hair to one side so that all of my neck was exposed. Seconds later, Poppy made a small gasp-like sound. Toph's parents both marveled at the birthmark just before my hairline; The skin there was lighter and almost in the shape of a heart-solid proof I was who I claimed to be. Poppy placed a hand on Lao's arm.

"She's your brother's daughter." The woman whispered to her husband. Toph's father then stood and came closer to me, his dark gold robes shifted as he did so. Lao studied the mark on my neck for some time before gazing back at his wife.

"Indeed." He lifted my head so that I was making eye contact with him. "My brother, Han Bei Fong's child is alive." The statement came out as barely a whisper. "My niece is alive." He repeated. "How could I not see it before?" The expression upon his middle aged face was one of rejoice as well as astonishment. Still sitting cross-legged upon her fancy seat, Poppy looked on with similar emotions. She held a hand to her heart, just underneath her necklace and it appeared as if she were moments away from tears; but these tears would be tears of joy.

Toph's father grew quite for a short while as the new information was still being processed in his mind. After what seemed like centuries, he looked at both my cousin and I, and spoke once more. "This has made me realize something." He began. Toph's ears perked up as she listened to her father. "I've let you have far too much freedom. You will be watched over and guarded twenty-four hours a day from now on." _What? _I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. _That's how he chooses to respond? _Toph must have felt the same way for she protested.

"But Dad, I-"

"We're only doing this for your own good, Toph." Poppy chimed in as her daughter lowered her head.

"Please, Uncle..." I asked Lao, finding my own voice. They couldn't possibly force their child to remain hidden; they had seen her talent and potential after all. _They're the ones who are blind!_

"Karuna, this stands for you as well. It is my obligation to look after you, you as my brother's daughter. It's what he would have wanted." I stood down, feeling a long overdue sense of authority sedate me. Lao glanced at our new friends behind us who had witnessed the whole argument. "Please escort the Avatar and his friends out." He ordered a servant. "They are no longer welcome here." He added hostily. As the trio were led out of the parlor, I exchanged a look with Katara. The Water Tribe girl discreetly mouthed the words, 'can you help?' It was a miracle I could sort of read lips, and while Toph's parents weren't looking, I mouthed back, 'I'll do what I can.'

Aang glanced behind his shoulder, a disappointed and sad look on his young face. "I'm sorry, Toph." He apologized. My cousin kept her head down in shame as the three moved further down away.

"I'm sorry too. Goodbye, Aang." A thin river ran down the side of my cousin's cheek; it came from the left eye. Pain.

Toph had been isolated in her room for roughly a half an hour when I entered. She was a tough kid and hated showing weakness. That was why she hid her tears in her pillows. I admired her strength and courage in those moments. From the second I met her, she just seemed like this unbreakable wall; something I knew deep down inside that I could never be. And as she wept for she could not truly take her part in this world, it made her all the more human.

I stepped partway through the threshold and knocked on the wall of my cousin's door. Toph sat on her bed, puffy eyes and a snuffly nose. She stared down at her pea-green blankets and twiddled her thumbs. "Hey, I had something to tell you, but that can wait. How are you feeling?" Toph rubbed her newly red nose with the back of her hand; the grotesque, pre-teen way she did most things.

"Awful." She responded. "My head hurts." I nodded. All the crying must have made her dehydrated. "It sucks!" She groaned. I sat down beside her on the bed and the springboard creaked under our weight. I put my arm around her shoulder farthest from me and pulled her closer. I sighed.

"Life does suck, kid." I agreed, remembering my own tough upbringing. My father was not nearly as controlling as Toph's, but I felt just as wronged when he kept my past a secret from me.

"I never expected to do anything great until now. I mean, teaching the Avatar is a huge honor, I'm guessing." My cousin went on. "Aang believes in me just as much as you do. I just wish my parents could too." The younger girl frowned. She rubbed her nose again, inhaling through it loudly. "And right now, it's crazy, but I was even thinking of running away." Toph added in a hushed tone. "It would probably crush my parents and I know they love me, but I just need to get out of here." She glanced up at me. "I know you think that it's a stupid idea and you're probably going to tell me not to go because it would upset them and they're just doing it because they care." _Quite the contrary, dear. _I thought.

"I actually came in to convince you to join Aang with me. Glad we're on the same page, kiddo." I answered honestly. A large grin overtook my cousin's face. I was afraid that she would shriek with excitement so I shushed her before she could make a sound. "Can you get dressed, packed and get your ass out in the garden in under five minutes?" Toph saluted me, clearly overjoyed.

"You know me!" The younger girl responded. She instantly began rummaging through her walk-in closet. In a flash, I was back in my own room across the hall. I threw on my beige and green tunic, leaving my pajamas behind, then I searched for my satchel.

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><p>"And you're <em>positive <em>they're out this way?" I ran alongside my cousin in the dark. We had successfully escaped the manor without anyone noticing, and were tracking down Aang and the others. I couldn't see much, and the fact that I was nearly blind in my right eye didn't help my situation much.

"Trust me, Sifu. I got this." She reassured me, taking the lead. At that point, that was my only option. I had horrible sense of direction so I had to trust Toph's 'foot-sight'. The two of us ran up and around high ground and plateaus outside of the city, when she concluded that the trio was close. Behind a little forest, I spotted a large, white thing a little ways off in the distance. As we drew closer, there was no way we could have missed it; Appa. It appeared as though the gang were about to take off. Toph sensed it as well and picked up her speed; I followed suit. Our thumping feet alerted the three. Aang turned his head as he gripped his bison's reigns.

"Toph! Karuna!" He exclaimed with surprise. "What are you guys doing here?" I was too winded to answer. I hadn't run like that in months. My cousin spoke for us.

"Dad had a change of mind. He said I was free to travel the world." It was a a big fib, and I wanted to call her out on it. But, I decided it wasn't worth scolding her over it. Both Sokka and Katara shared looks of astonishment from up high on Appa's saddle.

Sokka smiled as he welcome us to the group. "Glad you guys could join us. Now we better get out of here before your dad changes his mind again." He teased Toph. She laughed quietly and even I smirked alongside of her. _I can't believe it._ Only two years ago, I had shared Zuko's enthusiasm to capture the Avatar; now I was joining forces with him. The irony made me chuckle, but I would let fate continue to shape my path.

"You're going to be a great teacher, Toph." Aang encouraged, as I helped boost my cousin up onto the Sky Bison. Moments later, I , too, climbed up Appa's furry, white side. Once the five of us were all comfortably aboard, Aang shouted, "Yip-yip!" And Appa took off into the air. Toph, who was still getting acclimated to flying, gripped the sides of the saddle in a similar fashion as me when I first flew. Sokka laughed in a friendly way across from her and Aang tried to make his new earth-bending teacher feel more comfortable with a pep-talk.

Katara edged over to where I sat, and even in the darkness I could make out hopeful, blue eyes. Her smile was warm and sincere. "Aang has the greatest earth-bender as a teacher, and without your help, we'd still be looking." I felt very flattered by Katara's praise but the whole thing wasn't just my idea. I wanted to tell the long haired girl that my cousin and I had the same plan, but before I could get a word in, she hugged me. "Thank you." I was a bit surprised in the first few seconds, but then warmed up to the Water Tribe girl's affectionate gesture. The embrace filled a void in me that had been empty for so long. There was no exact way to describe it, and at the moment it was just fine with me. The girl without a mother held the girl without a father.


	5. Tracked

I know I have no excuse not to be updating constantly now because it's summer, but I still kinda have a somewhat busy schedule lol! But since I'm not in school I have way more time and I promise I'll be using it to keep writing this story and any others that I'm currently working on. Sorry for all the long waits! Enjoy!  
>~th3rdhale~<p>

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><p>It was close to dawn and I was still awake. Though my eyelids were slowly drooping, I had not yet drifted off to sleep. The sun had begun to peak out over the horizon, and the skyline was a faint orange and purple. The only noise I had heard in the last few hours was the whistling wind as we soared onward on Appa; this was why I became a little surprised when Sokka's voice cut through the long silence.<p>

"Is this your first time leaving home?" The Water Tribe boy asked a little ways to my right. Toph and Katara had fallen asleep and were further up in the saddle; we could only see the back of Aang and I guessed he was fighting off sleep as well as I was.

"Actually no." I responded, turning my head to face him. Sokka was studying the sunrise and it appeared as if he had been awake for a while. "I've been away from home a few times."

"Where you scared at first?" He smiled warmly. I paused for a brief moment before answering.

"Yeah, I was." I admitted. "I didn't really know what to expect." Sokka nodded his head in agreement. He laughed quietly and then looked down at his hands for a moment.

"It's kind of funny," he began. "five months ago, the only place I had ever known was the South Pole. And now, I'm trying to think of a place I've never been!" The boy grinned broadly. His enthusiasm was great for being awake in the wee hours of morning.

"Wow, you guys must have some great stories then." I shifted my position so that I was sitting up straight in the saddle. The smile upon Sokka's grew larger than before.

"Oh yea!" He exclaimed loudly. Then, he noticed my mellow and relaxed persona; that and it was very early in the morning. Sokka slouched down against the side of the bison's saddle. "I mean, yea we've got a couple." He tried again, more smoothly. I laughed as discreetly as I could. That boy was such a card. The goofy smile returned to his face moments later. "Remind me to tell you em some time." I nodded my head; it was a deal. I let my gaze shift over to Aang. The young avatar's back was still to us as he gripped Appa's reins. _Kid must be tired, _I thought. He was trying to make sure we arrived at our next destination safely, and for a twelve year-old that's a big responsibility; but Aang wasn't just any twelve year-old. My mind began to wander.

"Do you think we can do it?" Sokka tore his gaze away from the slowly rising sun.

"Hmm?"

"Do we have a chance to end this war?" I asked more clearly that time. I kept my voice just loud enough for him to hear, I didn't want Aang to feel offended in any way. "Will Aang finish his training by the end of summer?" Simultaneously, Sokka and I both focused our attention on the Air Nomad who sat stationed on Appa's head.

"Well, we've come this far, haven't we?" The Water Tribe boy asked rhetorically. "I guess we'll just have to see how things play out." I nodded my head slowly to concur with him. "You know, we should probably get some sleep." Sokka suggested, changing the subject. "I'm not sure how far we're going or what Aang has in mind." He stretched out on his side of the saddle and curled up in the fetal position. Short minutes later, the boy was snoring quietly. I shook my head, a small smile on my face as I did so.

"Night Sokka." I glanced at him one more time before turning over onto my side.

"Think we have enough firewood?" I followed Sokka out of the little forest by our campsite. The two of us held about five logs each. The Water Tribe boy nodded his head in front of me.

"Yeah, these'll be good." We could barely see the tent Aang was attempting to set up when we heard some arguing.

"Katara, I can carry my own weight." My cousin's defiant voice came from the center of our campsite. Moments later, the water-bender's response was heard.

"That's not exactly what I meant." She tried to explain her point. "What I was saying is that we all need to do our part when traveling together." Sokka and I approached the two, who were only a few feet away from one another. Katara turned to see her brother and I, still holding the wood. "Karuna's got the right idea." The dark skinned girl continued. "She helped Sokka carry the firewood." Toph still shrugged her off like the hard-headed kid she really was. Though Katara's vision of everyone helping out was a decent idea, I knew my cousin wouldn't go along with it; especially the way Katara was pitching it out.

"I don't know what the problem is. I carry my _own _weight." Toph repeated, dragging her napsack with her as she stormed off past us to the other side of the campsite. The girl sat down cross-legged, and then struck her elbow against the ground. Two thin, rectangular blocks of earth rose up to form a triangle above her. Toph stomped her foot and smaller, triangular pieces closed off both entrances, creating an earth-tent.

I sighed and shook my head, feeling slightly embarrassed at my cousin's actions. Katara wasn't very mad; if anything, she was simply frustrated.

"No offense, but how are you two related?" She asked in a jokingly manner. I laughed dryly as well.

"She's a pretty stubborn kid." I informed Katara, my eyes never leaving Toph's earth-tent. "But she'll turn around, I swear." I apologized on my cousin's behalf. Our conversation had to be put on hold though because Aang called out to us from underneath a tarp.

"Ah! Little help guys!"

We never did finish setting up the tent. There were no directions to be found, which Katara could've sworn there were earlier; and of course, she blamed Sokka for the misplacement since he did most of the unloading. Aang and I didn't mind much because we were nature people and preferred to sleep under the stars. The gang had an extra sleeping bag for me and I was grateful.

The four of us set up our sleeping arrangements right before the campfire died down. I hopped into my sleeping bag, which was to the right of Sokka and left of Katara; Aang picked a spot on the other side of Sokka.

"Everyone sleep well tonight." Katara urged in a motherly tone.

"Hey, sugar queen!" Toph's voice was heard for the first time in hours. And what was funnier, it was an insult I swore I had used sometime in my life as well. "Pipe down will ya?" I could see Katara glaring over where Toph lay in the dim light of the embers on the fire pits ash. It was evident that she was annoyed.

"I was just saying good night to everyone, Toph." The Water Tribe girl replied as coolly as possible, Katara zipped up the side of her sleeping bag and put her head down. I followed suit.

"Good. I don't have to hear you talk anymore." My cousin retorted. In an instant, Katara's large, blue eyes opened and she sat up quickly.

"What was that?" The water-bender demanded. When there was no response, she grew even more irritable. "If you have something to say, come out here and say it to my face!" Katara slid back into her sleeping bag, thinking that the little charade was over.

"Boy do _I _feel sorry for _you_ guys." Toph continued to taunt. "She must be _really _loud out there." For a split second, I was convinced that Katara was an undercover fire-bender, because I could have sworn there was steam coming out of her ears. I thought the girl was going to tear down Toph's earth-tent chunk by chunk, but she didn't leave her resting place. All of a sudden, and evil grin replaced Katara's scowl as she looked up into the night sky.

"Wow, the stars look beautiful tonight, Karuna," She began. I nearly flew up in the air, remembering my last deja vu half a year ago. _No more stars, people! _I hollered in my head. "Too bad your bratty-ass cousin can't _see _them." I calmed down once I realized what she was doing. _Oh damn._

"Someone's gonna need some ice for that burn." Sokka wittily remarked under his breath. From inside Toph's earth-tent, a loud 'THUD' was heard. The ground shook for a moment, and then all of a sudden, Katara was launched into the air-sleeping bag and all. The Water Tribe girl shrieked as she landed on top of Sokka and I. And let me put it this way, she wasn't exactly a bag of feathers.

"Katara, I'm all for getting to know you," I started. "But this is a little much. Kindly remove your head from-"

"I'm trying! It's harder than it looks!" She bit back. The left side of her face was pressed up against the bottom of my ribcage and I could literally feel each word she spoke. The edge of Katara's sleeping bag got caught in the zipper on Sokka's and the more she squirmed, the worse it got.

"Nice going Katara." Sokka snorted at his sister.

Aang sent a gust of wind our way, knocking Katara, who had just begun to untangle herself, back onto me. "Can you guys please stop fighting so we can go to sleep?" Agitation lined the young avatar's speech.

"Sorry, I hope this isn't awkward." Katara whispered, looking up at me from her current position. I answered honestly and truthfully.

"Compared to last year, this is nothing."

* * *

><p><em>I chased him throughout the mountains. The boy with the white headband. His spiky brown hair spilled out over it, nearly covering the yellow sun on its front. I had no clue where he had come from; he just suddenly appeared. One moment, I was staring at my own troubled reflection in a desolate pond, and then the water was disturbed by thrown pebbles. I turned around to see a guy with messy hair, torn up pants, and wearing a sleeveless shirt. Moments upon gaining my attention, he turned on his heels and ran up the side of the slope. I took off after him, wondering who he could possibly be; I had never seen him before in my lifetime. <em>

_ I could feel the blood pounding in my ears as I followed him up the dirt path. Everything in my surroundings appeared to be a blur. I was running at an extremely fast pace, but so was he. The ends of his headband flew behind him in the wind as he sprinted. In a flash, we were nearing the top of the peak. The earth beneath my feet began to rumble and stir. The boy, who I was in pursuit, stopped abruptly at the edge and turned to face me. He held his fist out in a palm-heel strike. His stormy, gray eyes were the last things I saw before the ground sent me far up into the air. Then I was falling fast._

"Guys! Something's coming!" Toph's voice awakened me from my slumber. I bolted up straight in my sleeping bag to find my cousin crouched down next to us with her palm to the ground. "Something big!" She concluded. The others awoke as well, shaking the sleep from their eyes. Aang pointed to a large cloud of smoke in the distance behind the Pine Trees.

"Whatever that is, we should leave." He decided.

The gang and I hurriedly threw our equipment into Appa's saddle. We barely had everything packed when the five of us took off. "Yip-yip!" Appa didn't need to be told twice. Katara glanced uneasily behind us as we soared away.

"What is that?" She wondered, as we watched the smoke cloud which continue to follow us onward.

"Don't worry guys, whatever it is will go away, and if not, we can outrun it." Aang reassured everyone from up front.

* * *

><p>"Seriously?" Sokka whined as Toph alerted everyone for the third time that we were still being followed. I couldn't believe it either. Aang had taken us far out of the path of whatever was coming after us. We were atop a tall peak, very similar to the one in my dream.<p>

"No!" Aang cried, noticing the smog cloud once again. "I thought we lost them!" From inside his sleeping bag, Sokka kept complaining about loss of sleep; by that point, all of us were very tired and pretty crabby.

"Well maybe we wouldn't have this problem if Toph would have just helped out earlier." The water-bender finally snapped. My cousin whirled around to confront her, eyebrows narrowed.

"How is this my fault?" She hollered back at Katara. I held the small girl back before she started to take some swings out at the other girl. We all needed sleep desperately, but we couldn't go anywhere without being tracked down, yet again. Aang did his best to try to calm the girls down.

"It's no one's fault." He declared. "We just need to figure out what keeps following us." The smoke drew closer and closer, and the loud sound of an engine could be heard for miles.

"Should we face it? See who it is?" Toph questioned, striking a battle pose. Aang didn't response, he simply gripped his staff firmly in defense. The chugging sound increased, then at the base of the peak, we saw it.

It was a black machine, ugly, made of iron and steel; it looked like a tank yet also a train. The enormous vehicle came to a halt and the smog clouds began to cease. A hatch on one of the machine's cars unlocked, and out crawled three lizard-like creatures with riders on their back's.

Katara gasped as she recognized our pursuers. "It's those girls from Omashu!" She exclaimed. I couldn't see as well as her, especially because of my one eye. But as the three figures began to draw nearer, I could recall them as well.

On the far left, a pale-faced girl with raven-black hair held throwing stars with her dominant hand. My palms began to tingle. All the way on the right, a girl with long, braided hair had an unusually serious expression cast upon her childish face. I gulped, feeling a lump form in my throat. And dead center, the girl I hoped never to see again, the princess, glared at us with shimmering, golden eyes, never blinking; like prey.

As if on cue, Momo screeched and dived into Appa's saddle. I wanted to do just as the lemur had, yet I couldn't bring myself to move. My knees shook violently. "Ah shit, count me out of this one!" I nervously announced. Sokka peered out from behind my shoulder, still half in his sleeping bag.

"I know," he whimpered. "They're so scary." I wanted to agree with Sokka, but his description barely scratched the surface on what those three ladies truly were.


	6. Never Back Down

OMG LMNOP! :D I am UBER excited because someone is going to send me CYBER COOKIES! Well even if they're for my computer, they're still COOKIES! xD NOM NOM well anyways, there was one comment that particularly sparked my interest and it gave me a possible idea to use in this story...well enough said, enjoy! (NOTE: there IS a bit of a time skip a little later in this chapter, so don't be confused lol!)  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

* * *

><p>"We've totally got this." Toph confidently encouraged everyone. "We've got em outnumbered, three on four!"<p>

"Um actually Toph," Sokka stepped in, finally getting rid of his sleeping bag. "There's five of us." He corrected, pulling out his boomerang. Toph giggled briefly at her minor mistake.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't count you-you know, no bending and all." she shrugged it off,still smiling slightly. Sokka's eyebrows narrowed furiously as he glared at the small girl. His eyes bulged out and they were bloodshot; most likely from frustration and lack of sleep.

"I can still fight!" The Water Tribe boy protested. Despite the tension, it was a humorous moment for a short time. However, I couldn't bring myself to laugh.

Toph planted herself firmly on the ground, ready to face our three pursuers at any minute. My cousin's arms were up in tight fists at the ready, just how I had taught her. I knew deep inside that I, too, should show no sign of fear. But I highly doubted myself at that time.

Out of the corner of my eye, a figure who was not part of our group stood about ten yards to my left. His pants were torn up at the knees and his shirt was sleeveless. He wore a white headband which was tied in the back of his head. Brown, spiky hair spilled out everywhere. I didn't think the others could see him because even Sokka was looking in the same direction as me and hadn't said a word. The mysterious boy glanced up at me with stormy, gray eyes. He made his way over to the very edge of the peak and peered over the ledge to see the three girls making a beeline for us. The strange boy kept looking at me, the ledge, then our foes down below. Finally, he deepened his stance into that of an earth-bender's and pushed both fists out into the air before disappearing. I blinked, the boy was completely gone. It was then that I knew what I needed to do.

I hopped several feet forward, burying the flats of my feet into the earth. I threw my arms out in defense, almost locking them like the guy in my vision had done. I raised my fists as well as my upper body as I watched plates of rock emerge from within the peak, acting as a shield. _Ha! _I thought. _Let's see them get through THAT!_

A piercing, crackling sound followed by flashes pf blue light came from behind the wall. Within seconds, smoke and dust clouded the air after a loud impact. Once the air was clear, Azula, atop the lizard creature, burst through the hole she had created, followed by Mai and Ty Lee.

"Everyone on Appa!" Aang hollered, sounding the retreat. The others didn't need to be told twice. Mai galloped alongside her cohorts. She whipped her arm out, sending half a dozen arrows out from the insides of her robe at Toph. Fortunately for my cousin, she could hear the projectiles whistling through the air before reaching her. The blind girl rose up into the air, and the arrows missed, striking the rock she used to spring herself up with instead. Toph gracefully leaped of the boulder and into the sky bison's saddle with the rest of the gang.

"Karuna, let's go!" Sokka cupped his hands around his mouth. The three girls were so close then it was scary. Even in the dark, I could make out Azula's golden eyes staring into my very soul. The Fire Nation Princess drew her arm back, and I didn't need to stick around to find out what was going to happen next. Just as Aang snapped Appa's reins, I jumped up and grabbed hold of the side of the saddle; the beast was taking flight as I leaped, and had I been a second late I would have been a goner. I swung my body upward, starting at my torso down, to land inside the saddle when I heard something streak across the sky at me. I arched my back as the blue surge of light grazed my lower back and shoulder blade. I tumbled into the saddle moments later.

Down below, Azula cursed her luck silently; glaring up at us with hungry, sharp, eagle-eyes. Hunting, watching, waiting for the next encounter. The look in them still haunted me long after.

I gasped, lying up against the inside of the saddle. I felt my chest rise and fall rapidly. I could breathe now, I could rest. A sigh of relief came from behind my chapped lips. Katara rushed over to me immediately. "Are you okay?" She lifted me waist up, so that I was almost sitting, in a gentle and caring way. Her royal blue eyes were wide with concern.

"Moksha?" It came out as a breathy plea, and as soon as I realized what had just come out of my mouth, I wished I hadn't said it. For the sake of my dignity, I pretended to be dazed and confused for much longer than I actually was.

"Oh spirits, she's delirious!" The water-bender reported to the rest of the crew, over her shoulder.

"Katara, I'm fine." I reassured her, trying to sit up on my own. The darker skinned girl prevented me from making any sudden moves too quickly.

"I think you should just relax for now." She suggested. I wasn't about to argue either; she was most likely right anyway. I mean, I was almost blasted to bits by lightning only moments ago.

"She'll be okay," Toph spoke for me, a little behind Katara. "Right Sifu?" I managed to mumble a 'yeah kid' in response. "But what I want to know is, who were those three girls?" My cousin asked. She was lucky to never have encountered them before. But then again, Toph had dwelt in Gaoling her whole life and hadn't had the chance to run into anyone really dangerous who wasn't part of the Earth Kingdom.

"They're from the Fire Nation." Katara explained, still remaining at my side for some odd reason. "They're bad news, and it looks like they've been following us since Omashu. I guess they've joined Zuko in the hunt for Aang." She added darkly. My ears perked up and my eyes widened a tad. _Zuzu?_ So they _had _run into him in their travels. I quickly replaced my awestruck expression with a bland poker-face. I wasn't sure how the gang would feel if they knew I was a friend of the banished prince.

"Who's Zuko?" Toph asked.

"Just some angry jerk with a ponytail." Sokka answered nonchalantly. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Katara placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at her brother; there was a ponytail atop of Sokka's head too after all. "But seriously," he continued. "Now that we have those dangerous ladies on our trail as well, it's another complication on our hands. We need to speed it up with our mission or we're going to run into a lot of roadblocks." The Water Tribe boy had a valid point. We were already stressed for time as it was, and now there were even more enemies to deal with on the way. Aang needed to master the last two elements and _fast._

"You're right, Sokka." I agreed with him. "But let's not stress about them too much otherwise they _will _win. The five of us can pull through-I mean, it can't get much worse from here."

* * *

><p>(<strong>Time Skippppp! Just FYI)<strong>

The blazing, hot sun beat down upon the four of us. Sizzling sweat ran down the back of my neck. For miles around, the only thing visible was the golden sand which we stood upon. Only minutes ago, Aang, Katara, Sokka and I, barely escaped Wan Shi Ton's library with our lives. The wondrous place was now buried deep within the desert once more. We had exited victorious however. We had discovered that an eclipse were to happen sometime in the summer that would leave the fire-benders powerless; the perfect day for an invasion. But once we leaped out of the tower, Aang first, we had come to find that our sky bison friend was gone.

"Hey Karuna, remember that time you said, "it can't get much worse from here"?" My head was reeling. "I hate to break it to you, Sifu, but-"

"Now's not the best time, Toph." I gritted my teeth at my cousin. I had jinxed us for sure. My bad luck came to bite me in the ass again. Appa had been taken by sand-benders, and in a furry, Aang took off on his glider in search of them. I gazed off into the horizon, trying to follow the young Air Nomad, but I could no longer see him. "Why didn't you stop him?" I looked at Katara quizzically. She was our group's voice of reason. Her voice was very soft and a little sad.

"He's in pain. I had to let him go, otherwise- well it's not good to bottle everything up." She clarified. "He needs to let it all out." Katara was right like always. I didn't let her catch on to that fact, though.

I sank to my knees, the sand shifted and gave in a little. I sighed deeply and dramatically, shaking my head as I did so. "We're fucked." I stated blatantly. We were completely stranded in the middle of the desert.

Katara took a step towards me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Now, we're not." She reassured me.

"Katara," I glanced up into the Water Tribe girl's big, round eyes. "Appa's gone, and Aang is emotionally unstable." I argued. "What chance do you have?" There was a moment of silence between the two of us. And the whistling wind of the desert filled in the quiet gap.

"We _do _have a chance!" Katara emphasized the word. "You even said that the five of us will pull through. We're going to make it out of here alive." Determination sparkled in her deep, blue eyes. "But only if we keep hope alive." She added in a softer and inspiring tone. I shifted my gaze from the sand back to her and exhaled slowly. What other option did we have? We could only try. I had no desire to die in this wasteland. The darker skinned girl held out her hand to me. I still looked on hesitantly. "You've gotta trust me, Kar." She coaxed, using the new nickname the group had assigned for me. Trust. I almost snorted. I wanted to tell this girl exactly what I thought about trust. I wanted to tell her what happened the last time a girl asked me to trust her. But I couldn't. "Please?..." It was the first time I had heard the word the way it was supposed to sound: humble, sincere, and genuine. In all the times I had heard it spoken, never had I heard it like this time. It was this word, too, that swayed me. And in that moment, I started to believe again.

I reached up and grasped Katara's hand. She pulled me up to my feet, and there we stood level with each other. It amazed me that this girl had so much strength and drive within her. The fact that she simply wouldn't give up, even in the situation that we were in, was incredible. Of course, the moment soon ended when a fit of uncontrolled giggles came from Sokka. Katara whirled around. "What are you doing?" She scolded. Behind us, Sokka held part of a cactus which he had sliced open with his boomerang. "You shouldn't be eating strange plants!"

"Actually, it's very thirst quenching." He explained. All of a sudden, Sokka's pupils became tiny, and then his eyeballs themselves grew large. "Drink cactus juice," He said, wiggling his fingers at the plant in his hand. "It'll quench ya, nothing's quenchier. It's the quenchiest!" Katara reached out and snagged the cactus away from him. She poured the juice out onto the sand.

"I think you've had enough." Momo, who had been perched on Sokka's shoulder, took off in flight. But instead of flying in a straight path, the little lemur flew in tight circles only a few feet above our heads'. The small creature went faster and tighter until he was too dizzy to continue and dropped down on the sand. Katara put her head in her hands. Now we had too bozos to deal with. Whatever Sokka had and Momo had drank, it wasn't exactly good.

"Whoa," Sokka exclaimed, examining my cousin up close. "Who lit Toph on fire?" The cactus juice was definitely impairing his judgment. My cousin laughed slightly and grinned.

"Can I get some of that juice?"

Just then, what looked like a giant mushroom-cloud rose up from the ground out in the distance. From far away, it still looked pretty big. "Wow." Was all I could manage. Sokka stared at the mushroom cloud intently, and spread his arms wide open.

"It's a GIANT mushroom..." He marveled at the dust cloud. A huge, goofy grin overtook his face. "Maybe it's friendly!"

"Come on everyone, we need to start moving." Katara encouraged, helping guide Toph in the direction she decided we should head. "I just hope Aang's okay." she quietly added mainly to herself.

Sokka remained where he was at, still ogling at the cloud. "Friendly mushroom!" He began to move his arms in wave-like motions and then started swaying. "Mushy giant friend!" I grabbed him by the back of his tunic and dragged him behind me.

"Let's go, ponytail." _Oh god this is gonna be torture..._


	7. Deadly Passage

**Author's Note: **A promise is a promise! I updated it time :D yay me! Okay just a heads up this part of the story will **not** include Hope and her family. It was a sweet addition in the show and a heart-warming little plot element but I don't think it's necessary to keep it in my fanfic. Also, with my new laptop I hope to be consistent with my updates (**at least** one chapter per week) Anywho...enjoy the latest chapter!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

* * *

><p><strong>(Another Time Skiiiiip!)<strong>

"Watch out!" Katara shouted with glee from atop an overpass made of rock. She jumped and hit the water below cannon-ball style. Of course, since she was a water-bender, an enormous wave crashed on shore.

Sokka frantically tried to cover the maps he had collected from the library. "Thanks a lot, Katara." He grumbled, annoyed. He grabbed one and tried shaking it to dry the scroll off.

"Sorry Sokka." Katara apologized and immediately water-bended the moisture out of the scrolls, making them dry once again. Sokka gave her a look of dignified gratitude. I couldn't help but laugh; Aang and Toph did as well.

"Nice splash, Katara." I complimented her.

It had been a little over a week and we still hadn't found Appa. Aang's temper was more controlled than it had been since the animal first went missing; he hadn't lashed out at anyone since then. Deep down inside, I was worried. Not only for our Sky Bison friend, but for our mission as well. Traveling on foot wouldn't give us away as easily, like in the sky, but it would also take time; time we didn't have.

"Thanks Kar," Katara giggled then proceeded to push me into the water. I fought back but ended up slipping. I grabbed onto Katara's forearms to keep balance but my course of action threw her off as well. The two of us tumbled into the water. I hadn't had that much fun in water since I went swimming at Ember Island with Zuko as kids.

Sokka slide off from his spot on the large rock. "As much fun as we're having, we've gotta step it up into serious mode for a while. We can still goof off, but only if we keep moving in a timely manner. We're heading to Ba Sing Se now, and the sooner we get there, the better. Things are more difficult now because Appa's..." Sokka paused awkwardly mid-sentence. He couldn't tell if he hit a sore topic with Aang. "...not with us at the moment." He finished in the most positive way he could think of.

Aang sat cross-legged nearby with his hands on his temples. "It's okay," he clarified. "My mind is cleared and I know that our main priority now is to deliver the information about the Fire Nation to the King of Ba Sing Se." Everyone stood quite. We honestly had not expected the avatar to handle the situation in such a calm and mature way. "That comes first. Then Appa. He'll be okay-he is _my _Sky Bison after all." Aang stifled a small grin. The rest of us did as well. We _were _going to find him. I knew it. It might not be right away, but I had a strong feeling that Appa would be with us again eventually.

Sokka glanced over to where Katara and I were still 'attacking' one another in the water. "Katara, stop trying to drown Karuna!" I nearly did drown because I laughed so hard at his comment. "That's it: if you two don't cut it out while we're trying to think, I'm signing you up for oil-wrestling!" The water-bender and I shot up out of the water and took a good step or two away from each other. Sokka's tactics for getting people to pay attention were strange indeed, but they worked nonetheless.

"Yes, captain my captain!" I saluted him while still ankle deep. My hair was soaked and covered my face almost completely, so it was hard to tell where the boy even was.

"Much better." Sokka glowed. I could tell already that I had fed his ego. "So what I was leading up to before: we meed top find a route to Ba Sing Se that works for us." The boy studied the maps again. "Any contributions from the aquatic gallery?" He gave his sister and I a look. I thought about it for a minute. Thought I had only lived in the Earth Kingdom a fraction of my life, I was beginning to piece together information long forgotten.

"If I remember correctly, there should be a Ferry Station not too far from here."

"Full Moon Bay?" Sokka pointed to a spot on one of the scrolls. "It doesn't look far at all."

"That would be the one." I concluded, remembering the name of the place. I had never been there of course; but I had heard the name bounce around before. "I guess we should hop to it then."

My cousin sat one the edge of shore with her bare feet in the water. She kicked her legs, making splashes and ripples. "Aw," she pouted. "Do we have to go just yet?" She had been enjoying herself for someone who wasn't particularly found of water. Katara handed me a knapsack, which I tossed at Aang. Unfortunately, the boy had not been looking and the bag hit him right in the head, knocking him down. _Crap..._I ran over to apologize to the young avatar and help him back up.

"Come on, Toph." Katara held her hand out to the young girl. "We have to cover more ground. Besides, I thought you said you couldn't swim." Toph grabbed the darker skinned girl's arm and stood up.

"Exactly." She grinned broadly. Katara shook her head. My cousin was just as hard to understand as Sokka was. For different reasons, obviously.

* * *

><p>Full Moon Bay was indeed full, with people. It seemed as though every refugee in the region was present. Patched up tents were just about every eight to ten feet a person walked. The people looked like they had been through hell and back. They didn't desire to live like this, and my heart ached for them.<p>

The five of us stood in line to purchase tickets. The grouchy woman in charge of selling the tickets was horrible. We watched as she had security with an angry platypus-bear destroy a cabbage merchant's vegetable cart; certain items weren't allowed on the ferries. The poor man had a melt down and removed himself from the line. "Next!" The witch of a woman called out. Aang cautiously approached the stone podium where she sat behind, furiously stamping paperwork.

"Um, five tickets please." He requested. The woman didn't so much as even look at him.

"Passports?" She droned on.

Aang tugged on his collar nervously. "Passports?" He repeated. "No one told us we needed passports." That was true indeed. Sokka decided to add in his two cents.

"Don't you know who this is?" He pointed at Aang. "He's the avatar!" The Water Tribe boy tried to reason with her. I thought for sure that would be the deal-breaker. The crabby lady only scowled.

"Ba! I see 50 avatars a day. By the way, not a very impressive costume." She pointed over a little ways away where we saw a handful of others dressed up to look like Aang...only they looked absolutely ridiculous! _She thinks we're con-artists!_ My temper began to boil. "Besides, no animals allowed." The woman had seen Momo. I loved the little lemur to death but sometimes I wanted to strangle him.

"You think we're scamming you?" I spat at the bitter looking woman. "He's the real deal!" I put my hand on Aang's shoulder.

"_NEXT!_" Came the response.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, sifu." Toph strolled up to the podium. "I can take it from here." She proudly placed and elongated card with the Bei Fong symbol onto the stone. "My name is Toph Bei Fong and I'll need five tickets." Instantly, the woman's tone changed.

"The golden seal of the flying boar!" Her eyes widened as she marveled at the symbol. "It is my pleasure to help anyone from the Bei Fong family." She bowed. I rolled my eyes and snorted. _Oh sure, NOW you'll show us some gratitude. _Toph really hammed it up.

"It _is _your pleasure. As you can see, I'm blind and these four imbeciles are my valets." Toph pointed to us.

"Hey!" I objected. Toph _giggled._

"And a cousin." She clarified.

"But the animal..." the woman protested.

"..is my seeing-eye lemur." Toph played it up coolly.

"Well, usually it is only one ticket per passport...but with this seal I can make an exception." The lady stamped all of our tickets. Toph retrieved them.

"Thank you very much." She said with a cheesy grin.

The five of us headed toward the lines for the ferries when Sokka was stopped by a female security guard. She looked about the same age as Katara and I, maybe slightly older. She had short brown hair, lighter than mine and determined, blue eyes. "Is there a problem?" Sokka asked her.

"Yeah, I've got a problem with _you_." She looked pissed. The first thought that popped into my head was, _Spirits, what has Sokka done now? _But he had been with us the whole time. What kind of trouble could he have possibly gotten into? The girl continued. "I've seen your type before: Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious and let me guess-you're traveling with the avatar?" _Huh?_ What was this chick's problem? And how did she know...those things were true? Sokka must have been thinking the same thing because he seemed utterly clueless until the girl kissed him on the cheek.

"Suki!" He exclaimed, excitement written all over his face. Aang and Katara were smiling so I assumed they knew her as well. The girl named Suki gave Sokka a big hug.

"It's so good to see you." She beamed.

The gang introduced Toph and I to Suki and we chatted with her while waiting to board a ferry. It was nice to be above ground again. Thought I _was _an earth-bender, underground caverns weren't exactly my thing.

Suki was a warrior from Kyoshi Island and the reason the gang didn't recognize her was because she wasn't wearing her face paint or her warrior's outfit. Instead she had her ugly security guard outfit-as she thought of it, with a dorky green hat to match the rest.

"So what are you doing out here?" Aang asked.

"After you guys left Kyoshi, the other warriors and I wanted to find a way to help people. You guys inspired us." I grinned. The gang had certainly inspired Toph and I as well. "So why are you guys taking the ferry? Couldn't you just fly over on Appa?" We grew silent. Then we told Suki about how Appa was taken and she gave us her condolences. "Are you doing okay?" She asked Aang, who was gazing across the water.

"I'm doing fine. Would everybody please stop worrying about me?" There was a sharp tone in his voice. I went over to where he leaned against a guard rail and playfully nudged him in the ribs.

"Calm down baldy. We just care about ya, that's all." I teased. Aang crossed his arms and gave me a look.

"Oh no. I'm still mad at you. You knocked me down earlier." I couldn't help but to laugh out loud.

"With a bag." Aang didn't laugh with me. "Oh come on, Aang. If you're going to be like this the whole ferry ride..."

"Oh! Speaking of the ferry," Katara interrupted. "We should get our tickets out to be ready." She glanced over at Toph. My cousin felt the water-bender's gaze on her.

"I gave them to Sokka." She reported. Sokka rummaged around in the green and beige bag he had bought when they were in Gaoling. His search suddenly became frantic. The boy started pulling out items out and looking through his possessions.

"What? No! They're not here! But I-I just had them!" _Oh no..._I groaned internally. Sokka emptied the bag out entirely on the bench and Katara began helping him. "I don't believe this! I haven't touched them since putting them in here. Someone must have stolen them." He concluded. I cursed out bad luck. "Look! Even some of our money is gone too!" Sokka counted the coins in a small, brown pouch.

"Pick pockets..." I grumbled under my breath. Could we catch a break at _all?_ It was extremely frustrating.

"How do we get to Ba Sing Se now?" Katara wondered, sharing similar thoughts as me. I doubted we would go through the procedure of acquiring tickets with madame crabby ass. Sokka sighed and pulled out a scroll he had been studying intently while the four of us were having fun at the oasis.

"I didn't want to have to come to this option," he began. "I saw it earlier but decided against it. We have no other choice now. We're going to have to go through the Serpent's Pass."

* * *

><p>"You have got to be kidding me..." My eyes were as large as dinner plates as I stared up at the giant serpent that had emerged from the water in front of our path. The sea creature was the colors of turquoise and purple and almost resembled a dragon. It must have been at least 100 feet long.<p>

"I think I've figured out why they call it Serpent's Pass!" Sokka hollered, pointing at the enormous sea monster.

"You don't say." I bit back. Sokka held Momo up in his arms.

"Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering, thank you." His sister yelled at him and hit him on the head.

"Sokka!"

Aang hit a strong gush of wind at the serpent with his staff. "I'll distract it-you guys figure out a way to get across!" The avatar soared at the sea creature on his glider. In a second, Katara created a pathway of ice from the other side of the route from the earth that Toph had uprooted. Sokka and Suki ran across it while I aided Toph. It was slippery, but the fear forced us to continue without fail. Halfway down the ice path, I stopped. Katara had gone to help Aang battle the sea monster. The two fought wonderfully, but the serpent wasn't retreating. _The need more help._

"Toph, you've gotta get to the other side by yourself. I'm gonna go help Aang and Katara." I told her. "You're not far from shore, you can do this!" My cousin nodded and nervously began side stepping across the ice. It didn't occur to me that then she was completely blind until I had already left her.

I dived into the water just as an attack from Katara sent the beast crashing down onto the ice path. Under the water, I could still hear a high-pitched yelp. "Toph!" I screamed, as I rose to the surface. Suki jumped into the water towards my cousin, and I knew it was going to be okay. I breathed a sigh of relief. I held my breath and went back under. There was still much more of the creature underneath the water. I kicked my legs as hard as I could and descended towards the rest of it's scaly body. I let my chi simmer until I could no longer feel the chill of the water. Shoving my hands into the other half of the sea serpent, I could physically see the transfer of heat as the serpent's skin grew red. The beast roared and squirmed, moving into the perfect position for Aang and Katara to finish it off. The two benders created a whirlpool only meters above me and trapped the creature in it. Once the sea serpent was thrown into the rocky sides of the passageway, it decided it didn't want to mess with team avatar, and disappeared into the water.

I could hear Sokka cheering safely on shore. "Yeah! Woohoo! Team Avatar!" I smiled and swam to the other side of the passageway. _That name does have a nice ring to it._

* * *

><p>The crackling fire kept me warm as I edged closer to it. Above it, hung, were Suki's warrior robe and mine and Toph's tunics. They were still partly damp and couldn't be worn yet. I laid against a rather comfortable rock which seemed to trap in heat. I was in only my beige undergarments; a tank top and shorts that stopped in the middle of my thighs. My hair had dried before dusk because it was barely shoulder length. I was thankful for that because it was kind of a chilly night. Toph had already called it a night and retreated to her earth tent-I knew that for sure. I had a feeling that Aang was meditating by himself; he had been pretty distant these past few days. Sokka and Suki were most likely somewhere together. The two made a cute pair in my opinion.<p>

I grabbed a nearby twig and started poking at the flames beside me. They were consistent yet controlled; the way fire is meant to be. "Careful there pyro." Startled, I dropped the twig and it incinerated within the flames. I turned to my right to see Katara standing a few meters away. She too was wearing more comfortable sleeping wear and she had taken her hair out of her braid. She looked stunning. I thanked the darkness for concealing my blush. The water-bender sat down next to me. "You swim very well for an earth-bender." She pointed out after a moment of silence. _Pretty well for a former fire-bender._ I tried to avoid her gaze.

"Well I've always liked the water." Katara grinned.

"Trying living in the South Pole, it's kind of hard _not _to be a fan of water." We both chuckled at this. I always joked about her and her brother sticking out like sore thumbs because of their Water Tribe get-up. I couldn't help but stare at the water-bender. If all the women from the Water Tribe were as beautiful as her- I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept. Even though it was all in my head, it still felt awkward. Katara was a friend, a really good one. We had hit it off well in the past month and a half we'd known one another.

"Why do you keep crossing and uncrossing your feet?" Her voice brought me back to reality. I wasn't even aware that I was moving at all. I was at a loss for words and babbled quietly for a moment.

"I don't...I don't know." A small smile formed on my lips when I realized how stupid I was being. Why couldn't I act normal around Katara all of a sudden? The darker skinned girl giggled and leaned her head against my shoulder. It was a sweet gesture. Perfectly normal for good friends. So why was I so uptight? It was my damned chi that screwed me over.

"You're warm." Katara said and it came out as a whisper, just below my ear. She took hold of my right arm and I could feel the coolness of her body against me. My breathing began to quicken and to distract myself I gaze up at the stars against the blackened sky. My eyes roamed around from constellation to constellation. There must have been at least a billion stars visible in the present moment.

An ember sprang up from the fire and landed on my left forearm. I instinctively recoiled, then remembered where I was. Katara was still laying against me, and her eyes were closed. She was asleep. I listened to her soft and gentle breathing. _Spirits, she's beautiful..._I thought to myself over and over again. But I shook my head. I wasn't interested in being interested in anyone, and I doubted I would ever be.

I turned my head down slowly so I was just above hers. The scent of Katara's hair was amazing as I inhaled. It was a familiar scent that was both intriguing and very pleasant. I began to further recognize it the more I drew in breath. Jasmine. I froze. There were only two other women in my life who carried the same aroma with them wherever they tread. Only two, and I had failed them both.

My actions were blunt and sudden. I pushed Katara away from me; not hard but enough to stir her slumber. She awoke seconds later. Sleep was still evident in her bright, blue eyes. "Kar?" She spoke my name smoothly. I scooted back farther. "Are you okay?" She was now confused as well as concerned. I rose to my feet and started backing away. In her eyes I could see her piecing together what just happened. Katara stood up too. "Kar," she pleaded. "Just speak to me-please!" She called out after me. "Kar!" I was yards away before I even knew my legs were moving. I couldn't stop myself. I was running from something once again.


	8. The Great City

**Authors note**: As you probably already figured out, there's a handful of things I'm skipping over, this includes ** the** **drill** and fight that went along with it. Since it's a new year, I've decided to make frequent updates my resolution! Happy 2012 everyone! Enjoy new chapter!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

* * *

><p>Tears. Endless rivers flooded down from my eyes as my feet pounded against the rocky shore. The bottoms of my feet began to bleed from the jagged edges and sharp shells. I was too focused on the mental pain to acknowledge the physical. I stumbled every so often because my liquid sorrow clouded the vision I had left. <em>Why?<em> I wanted to cry out to the spirits and deities above. _Why?_ It was so unfair. Why must I fall victim to such emotions again? I hadn't cried since..._that night. _I sank to the ground, my knees hitting the earth. I was vulnerable then, to anything and everything. I was many things, but an unbreakable wall I was surely not.

No, I had not cried since that night. When everything changed. And I think it was the first night that_ she _had cried in many years. _Gods why am I crying?_ I stared up at the sky, tears rolling off my face. It was the memories. The goddamned memories that were painfully brought back to me. "Li Ann..." I whimpered, as if she could hear me from all the way back in the Fire Nation. I could visualize her then, the only woman I called mother; her sparkling green eyes, her raven hair and comforting smile. "I tried!" More sobs followed. "It tried..." I needed her now-to hold me like she use to-to tell me it was alright. I missed my mother.

Then, _her _face appeared in my mind; the princess'. Her golden eyes were filled with love and warmth instead of anger and ambition. The waves rolled in on shore and I stood to watch them under a full moon. "Do you remember..." I began to ask out to the ocean. "...me?

Katara found me asleep on the sand a half mile away from the basin I had left the night before. "Karuna?" She nudged me. I rolled over, but she stopped me moments later. Her eyes widened and her chest fell as she saw the blood mixed with sand at my feet. "Don't move! You're bleeding." She extracted some water from the sea and began bending it around my feet. I could feel the raw flesh healing over; it wasn't exactly a pleasant process though. Katara then ripped a strip or two off from her attire to bandage my feet. I took note that she had on the same clothes as she did the last time I saw her. She must have been looking for me since she had woken up.

"Kar, please talk to me." Katara pleaded since I had not spoken a single word to her yet. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable last night-I'm just a friendly and touchy person." All I could do was stare. Tell Katara what was _really _going on in my head? Please. I'd run the risk of giving away _everything _and then I'd be ancient history like the air nomads.

Katara sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to offend you, I wasn't trying to upset you." The girl apologized. I knew she was completely sincere but I was still shaken up over the whole thing. The water-bender looked down at the sand. "I didn't mean anything you didn't want me to mean." She murmured quietly. I blinked. _Hold on..._Had I heard the darker skinned girl correctly? And if I had, was I supposed to have? _No..._I wanted to ask, my curiosity begged me to, but my common sense scratched the idea entirely.

I had to say something. I didn't want to dig deeper into the mixed messages I was receiving, but I had to make some indication that I wasn't angry with her. My words were planned carefully yet there was a certain bluntness to them. "Katara, I'm going to be frank with you." I began. "Most of my past relationships, of any kind, have either been entirely dysfunctional or ended badly." My gray eyes locked with her blue ones. "So please don't take offense when I become edgy or quick to defend. It's nothing against you," My breath hitched as I noticed she was closer. "Or the rest of the gang." I quickly added. "It's just...a defense mechanism I've learned." Some happiness returned to the hopeful girl's face as she nodded. I was glad Katara understood. That was the truth too; I hadn't fibbed at all in my little explanation.

The Water Tribe girl helped me up to my feet. "Call it a truce?" She outstretched her arms. She was looking for a hug. _Guess nothing's wrong with that. _I mean, a hug was harmless. Right? I quickly remembered how I use to hug Zaida and stuck to that method. My right arm went over Katara's shoulder rand my left under her left arm. A best-friend hug. I use to hug Ty Lee and Azula the same way. I even recalled embracing Mai similarly, but that was only on rare occasions.

I would be lying if I said I couldn't bear the thought of embracing Katara. I'd only be kidding myself if I'd try to pretend I didn't like her skin touching mine. These were the reasons I broke the hug off first. I wouldn't be submissive, and I definitely didn't need any more distractions in my life at the moment.

I started walking back the same way I had run. Well, limping actually. Though Katara had stopped the bleeding, the soles of my feet still throbbed and ached. The water-bender was instantly there to spot me. "Are you sure you're able to walk all the way back?" I paused for a moment to give my legs a break.

"Yeah," I winced. "they're just still really sore."

"I could carry you if you'd like." She suddenly offered. I gave her a strange look. I didn't mean to be judgmental, but I wasn't quite convinced she could lift 120 pounds, mostly muscle, a half mile back to camp. Katara must have known what I was thinking and giggled.

"You really think Sokka inherited the brawns? He hardly even has half of the brains." I laughed with her. It _was _a mystery how her brother managed to get this far in life. Katara braced her right arm around my back and hooker her left under the under sides of my knees. She lifted me up with ease. "Told you." She gloated, walking down the path at a decent speed. I had to hand it to the water-bender, she was strong.

"I feel like a pampered idiot." I muttered a few minutes later.

"Yes you are." Katara smirked in response. That girl was tricky when she was in a humorous mood. I shifted around in her grasp.

"Watch it water lady, just because my feet are out of commission doesn't mean I can't bend!" I retorted, feeling a lot more chipper than I had in a while.

"Okay," Katara replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "What are you gonna do? Throw some pebbles at me?" She further teased.

"Darn. How ever did you know of my intentions?" I responded to her taunting with a similar tone of sarcasm. The water-bender laughed and I could feel her stomach move when she did.

"Stop it! You sound like my brother!" Just the thought of myself being a mini Sokka made me burst into a fit of laughter. _Good, _I thought. _Back to the way things were._

When we arrived back at the camp, I could stand to be mobile again. Only Aang, Toph and Sokka were present. "Where's Suki?" I asked the Water Tribe boy.

"She went back. She and the other Kyoshi warriors are going to continue to help out here." He looked bummed but sounded proud. I was happy for him. Suki seemed like a very sweet and capable girl.

"Yeah, but not before playing tonsil hockey with ponytail." Toph remarked smugly from the rock pile where she sat upon.

Sokka whirled around. "It was not _that_ bad!" He argued. "Wait..how would _you _know?" He pointed at my blind cousin. She only grinned. _Toph has her ways, _I chuckled internally. Aang tried his best to hold in his laughter, but couldn't. Even Momo seemed to find humor in the situation. The air-bender approached Katara and I.

"Katara, Karuna, I've been distant and not the same lately. I want to apologize because I know you two care bout me and have been looking out for me this past week. You're such good friends and I want you to know I care about you both too." Aang smiled. I beamed. Aang had a special place in his heart for us as well. Katara embraced him first and then I hugged my little nomad friend.

"Aw Aangy, you're not mad anymore?" I teased him playfully. He shook his head.

"Nope...but now we're even." WHAP!I was on the ground in an instant, holding my head. It had happened in a split second. The hit began to sting more and more. "I'm sorry!" Aang's light gray eyes were all of a sudden right in my face. "Was that too hard?" He asked innocently. My hand grabbed the end of his staff as quick as lightning and he jumped once it happened.

"First, I'm going to beat you with this stick." I growled. Aang hollered and started to bolt. I sprang after him. The two of us ran around wildly like cat and mouse. "And when I'm done with you, there will only be _three _nations!"

* * *

><p><strong>Time Skiiiiip!<strong>

"It's a wonder we made it here in one piece." Katara scoffed. The five of us sat inside the train further leading into Ba Sing Se. A wonder it was indeed. Especially since a lot of the journey had been on foot.

"It was worth it." Sokka nodded, making himself right at home (lying across the seats). "Now we can tell the king about the information we've acquired. And then we can find Appa." Aang was much more relaxed now that we were in the city. I felt relieved as well.

We gasped in unison upon the arrival into the inner wall. The city was absolutely enormous, stretching in all directions. No wonder it was the capital. The five of us got off at the main station. Aang looked out over the dozens and dozens of houses and buildings. I knew he was thinking about Appa. He was worried, as was I.

A woman on the other side of the platform came over to us once the train embarked. She wore a long dress that was mainly yellow with a little green around the collar. Her hair was dark brown and a few inches longer than mine. Right from the start, I got a weird vibe from her; her large smile creeped me out. "Hello, my name is Joo Dee," She began in a welcoming tone. The smile was still freaky. "I have been given the honor of showing the avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, Karuna and Toph. Welcome to our city." _Whoa. How did this lady know our names? I had never seen her before in my life._ I felt uneasy. Apparently, Sokka didn't.

"We have information on the Fire Nation that we need to give to the king." Joo Dee showed no changed in emotion whatsoever, she simply continued smiling as if we had told her we lived in a world of flowers and butterflies.

"Great. Let's begin our tour, and then I'll show you to your new home here, I think you'll like it." With that she turned around, expecting us to follower her without question. Sokka turned around to the four of us and made an irritated face. I couldn't blame him. The woman had completely surpassed what he said.

"Um guys?" I whispered so that only they could hear me. "Is it just me, or does she seem odd? And also kind of rude?" Toph shrugged. Aang and Katara didn't make any comments.

"I'll just be more blunt." Sokka said. He was blunt enough to begin with. How could the boy be any more blunt than he already was? The boomerang boy followed Joo Dee. "Um, maybe you didn't hear me the first time," doubt lined his voice almost entirely. "but we have important information on the war to give to the king." Joo Dee turned around and said the with same edgy smile:

"You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe."

I spaced out most of our tour, contemplating in my head what to make of those words: "Everyone is safe." It definitely wasn't true. Even in a great city such as this, people could still fall victim to just about anything. Sokka repeatedly tried again and again to stress how important it was for us to meet with the king. Joo Dee ignored and shot down his attempts every time.

We were all relieved once the woman showed us the house we'd now be staying in. It was a nice size and would be wonderfully accommodating to the five of us. I thought the gang was going to have a heart attack when Joo Dee told us that our meeting with the Earth King wouldn't take place until a month. That was not a reasonable wait. We'd be losing precious time. "Woman, what is _**wrong**_ with your city?" I suddenly blurted out. "You people have no concept of time!" Joo Dee didn't even flinch or look offended.

"Your request was processed much quicker than most." I stormed into the house. _Forget her._

"Okay, so how are we going to make this work?" Sokka started brainstorming with us the next morning. He was referring to the month wait to speak with the king. I was fresh out of ideas.

Toph shrugged. "Good question Sokka, 'one doesn't just pop in on the Earth King'." She did a remarkable impersonation of Joo Dee. At that moment, Katara came running in from outside. A scroll was in her hand.

"The king is having a party for his pet bear!" After the rest of us argued what species of bear it was, Katara continued. "Guys this is our chance! The palace will be packed so we can sneak in and go unnoticed!" I wasn't too sure about the water-bender's plan. There was so much that could go wrong. Besides, the five of us were a group that was hard to forget.

"I don't know about this. How are we going to talk to the king about the war when everyone will be surrounding him? _He's _the one throwing the party!"

"Don't worry, Kar. I've got this under control." Determination twinkled in Katara's eyes. She took note of the boys goofing off and wearing the drapes. "They're going to have to pass as bus boys though."

* * *

><p>"I hate you." I glared at Katara. She, Toph and I struggled against the rock hand restraints the Dai Li put on us. The whole thing was <em>not <em>under her control. We were definitely in hot water now. Our 'escort' and the party turned out to be the one in control of the guards restraining us. Long Feng brought us to a small and eerie library, away from the palace festivities.

"Why won't you let us see the king about the Fire Nation?" Sokka demanded. Long Feng sat in front of a fire place housing bright, green flames.

"Oh please. The Earth King has not time to be involved in political and military squabbles. His main concern is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se." This city was screwed up! Everything about it was backwards.

"Culture?" I spat. "What good is cultural heritage when the Fire Nation takes over? They've expanded far already and they will keep expanding until everything is theirs." Long Feng eyed me spitefully. I put him on edge and I was well aware. "The Dragon of the West was able to penetrate through these walls-how long until they fall completely? What good is your culture then, when you won't even make an attempt to save it?" A deafening silence overtook the room. I thought for a minute that I had shut our antagonist up. Long Feng was now growing impatient and he rose to his feet.

"For someone who sides with those opposing the Fire Nation, you seem to posses engrossing knowledge on of what they are capable of." His tone was icy. As much as I wouldn't admit it, the man was right about that.

" I have no culture." I responded to his accusation. "The Fire Nation burned it along with my city."

"Enough!" Long Feng silenced me. "It is a strict policy herein Ba Sin Se that the war not be mentioned within the walls. Constant news of an escalating war will throw the citizens into a panic. By continuing order, Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful Utopia."

Aang was angered as well. "You can't hide the truth from all these people. I'll tell them-I'll make sure everyone knows!" He threatened.

"Don't you dare think we won't do it." I challenged with emphasis. We were picking a bad fight, and in the back of my mind I knew it. Long Feng was head of the Dai Li. He basically controlled the whole city. He was powerful and in this situation, we weren't as strong.

"Up until now, you were treated as honored guests, but now on you will be watched every moment by Dai Li agents." The braided man laid out the consequences.

"You don't scare us." I retorted with clear defiance. "You have nothing to threaten us with." Long Feng paced with his back turned to us.

"I have my ways, Miss Bei Fong. That is, in fact, your name I presume. Unless, under different circumstances?" _Oh, no way. _My heart skipped a beat. These people had the most mysterious ways of getting inside your head. I prayed to Agni that my friends couldn't decipher what he meant by his last remark. There was no way he could have known for sure, I had never before set foot in Ba Sing Se. But, just to be safe, I stepped down.

A grin ever so small appeared on Long Feng's mouth at my defeat. "I would reassess who my acquaintances are, avatar. Some might have a talent of digging themselves as well as you into further trouble." If looks could kill, Long Feng would have burned. The man continued. "I understand you've been looking for your bison. It would be a shame if you were not able to complete your quest." Aang's jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed. Things were getting out of hand, and this definitely wasn't over.


	9. Dismay Underground

This is the longest chapter so far because I wanted to include a lot all in one chapter instead of breaking it up in segments. It's kind of like a double chapter. So..hope you enjoy!  
>~th3rdhal3~<p>

* * *

><p><em>I was in the market place of Ba Sing Se. The others weren't anywhere to be found. Where they were I did not know. I was alone in a strange city I had never been to before. The streets were lively and filled with merchants, artisans and refugees. It did not look familiar in my eyes at all. It was easily the biggest city I had been to. Something caught my attention. He was there again. The boy with the white headband.<em>

_ He smiled at me before maneuvering through the crowds. Who was he? I had seen him many times before, yet had never been around him long enough to question him. I knew I had never met him, yet I felt as if I knew him. I followed him through the slew of people. I had to know more._

_ We were above the bizarre now, on the roof tops! The texture of the shingles felt funny against my now shoeless feet, but I didn't stop. The end's of the headband flew behind him as he jumped from roof to roof. I ran right after him, not fearing certain death that would await if I tripped and fell. The boy glanced over his shoulder at me. A goofy grin was now on his face. "Heads up!" That voice! I knew I had heard it before. It almost sounded like Zuko's except more energetic and spirited. He pulled something from off of his back and threw it at me. The object hurled towards my face, instantly turning into one of Mai's daggers._

THUNK!

"Crime-a-niddley!" I sat up quickly and saw Toph holding her forehead across from me. I didn't even realize that mine had started hurting as well. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I was in the house that was provided for us in Ba Sing Se. I must have fallen asleep on the floor from the night before. "Geez sifu, what were you dreamin' about? You were practically earth-bending in your sleep!" My cousin groaned.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. "Sorry Toph." I apologized. Sokka was busy with some charcoal and paper a little ways away. I assumed it was mid-morning because the two were up, and the light that shined in through the windows was bright. There was no sign of Aang or Katara. They must have been out running errands. After all, the two were the earlier risers of the group. "Sokka, whatcha doing?" I got up off the pea-green carpet and went over to him. The Water Tribe boy lay on his stomach, focusing on whatever he was doodling.

"Lost posters." He answered enthusiastically. "Ya know, to put up in search of Appa." I studied his drawings. All I could make out was some thing with sticks coming out of it and a huge arrow going across.

"That's awesome Sokka," I smiled at him. "...but what the heck is that?" Sokka sat up instantly, gripping his homemade poster in his hands. He shoved the drawing in my face and it bonked me on the nose.

"How could you _not _know what this is?" He looked offended. "It's Appa! Don't tell me you've forgotten what he looks like already!" I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Sokka took pride in _all _types of his work. I felt bad for poking fun at his artwork and for laughing.

"Don't sweat it, Sokka. I think it looks great." Toph grinned impishly. I bit down on my lower lip to keep from ruining the moment. The older boy beamed, his ego rising once more. He was definitely a ham.

"Why thank you, Toph." He began all perky-like. "I-..." Once realization hit, he stopped and made a grumpy looking face at us. "You know, you two have no appreciation for art." With that, he turned his back to us, and continued working on the poster. _What a ham._

Aang and Katara returned back to the house soon after. "Hey guys, we just went to the print shop!" Katara reported. She then pulled out a stack of papers from her bag. They were professionally made missing posters with an incredible sketch of the sky bison on them. Sokka took one look at them and tossed his drawings over his head in defeat. It was a nice effort that he at least tried, but the boomerang was Sokka's true area of expertise. Aang helped an in-denial Sokka to his feet.

"C'mon. Let's go put them up!"

* * *

><p>We found a bare wall around some of the shops in the market place. It wasn't super crowded but we guessed about 50 or so passed by every hour, give or take. Katara handed us each some of the missing flyers to hang up. "Wow," I marveled. "I'm surprised this isn't on Joo Dee's list of things 'one simply doesn't do in the Earth Kingdom'." I mocked our guide and then grabbed the paste can from Sokka.<p>

Katara suggested that we split up, after we had put the first few posters, to cover more ground. Aang decided he would take the flyers with him on his glider, and Katara thought Toph should go with Sokka. Of course, my cousin found an issue with this.

"Why do I have to go with Sokka?" She complained. I had a theory that she secretly liked him. "I can put these stupid things up myself!" Toph snatched a flyer and some paste then slammed the poster onto the wall. After an unexpected silence, she sighed. "It's upside down isn't it?" Actually, she had put the poster up backwards, so that the white side was displayed. Toph gave up. "Okay ponytail, lead the way." She followed the Water Tribe boy off to the right.

Aang opened up his glider and said, "See you guys in a bit!" He then sprang up into the air and took off. Katara and I carried the rest of the posters and headed off for the center of the market place.

"To be honest," Katara admitted in between handing flyers out to citizens, asking if they'd seen Appa. "I'm not even sure if what we're doing is allowed...by Joo Dee's standards." She smiled wryly.

I pretended to gasp. "What sorcery is _this_? Toph is obedient, Katara is breaking the rules!" This caused her to burst into a giggle. I turned around. "And Momo is tagging along with _us!_" The lemur cocked it's head at me and cooed. He then crawled up my side and onto my shoulder. I scratched his head. "Good lemur."

The two of us began to wander into the food district-where all the restaurants and food markets were. The aroma of pork, beef and chicken teased my nostrils. "I need meat!" I whined. Katara chuckled and took the scents and smells in as well.

"You know, it's a wonder you're not the one dating my brother." She joked. I cracked a smile too, and blushed faintly. I'll admit, I _did _have a small crush on the warrior boy the first few weeks of knowing him. However, that changed and now that Suki was in the picture, I didn't want to get in the way of their relationship. Plus, I was not interested in a relationship. Why was that always my _last _reason? "You two are _so _alike." Katara went on. "You both are obsessed with meat, sarcastic as all get out, fighters to the end, and painfully skeptical." I mulled the list over in my head. She was right; Sokka and I were more alike than I had realized. "The only difference I can see is that he's-"

"Not a bender?" I guessed what she would say next.

The water-bender grew silent and quietly stated, "I was going to say he's more eccentric and out there with a lot of his ideas. But I guess that's true too." I felt like an idiot. I hadn't meant to bring up the fact that Sokka had not been blessed with the gift of bending. There were probably at least a dozen other differences I could of touched over. Like the fact that I'm a girl, maybe? Nope, of course I had to chose the touchy difference. I hoped Katara didn't think I was prejudice like some. The poor boy probably felt otiose in our bender battles. But, the spirits had bestowed the mind of a warrior upon him, and he proved to be a great strategist.

"What I'd give to be normal like Sokka." I sighed, remembering the countless number of times my bending had gotten me into trouble. It would be much simpler if I didn't possess such abilities.

Katara gave me a look of disbelief. What bender would wish their gift away? "you should tell that to him. He thinks he's useless to the team sometimes."

"He's not useless, no one else could take on the burden of telling lame and humorless jokes." Katara cracked up at my remark and so did I. "But seriously, you're brother's no-" I bit my tongue to keep from saying 'Azula.' "...warlord," I saved myself. "but he's definitely got some effective tactics of his-" I stopped in the middle of my thought. Standing in front of a merchant's post up ahead, was a boy with shoulder pads and a full head of brown hair. "Jet..." I whispered under my breath.

I rushed towards him, where he was preoccupied by looking at the merchant's goods. I placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him toward him. A huge grin replaced the older teen's previous colorless expression. "Karuna!" He exclaimed, recognizing me immediately. He then noticed the water-bender at my side and his eyes widened in surprise. "Katara! Wow are you two here together?" I raised an eyebrow. Jet knew her too? Katara was already three steps ahead. The girl drew up the water from a nearby fountain and sent Jet and the water into the alley right next to us. The water-bender trapped the Freedom Fighter in a barrage of ice. I followed her into the alley in a panic. What the hell was her problem?

"What are you doing here Jet?" Katara questioned grimly, her arms still raised in an offensive position.

"Katara what are-" The water-bender completely ignored me. Her attention was on Jet and Jet only.

"I didn't mean any trouble!" The older boy blurted out. " I came here to start over. Katara, I've changed!" He pleaded, struggling against the hold the ice had on him. Katara glared at him with unblinking, cautious eyes. I pushed past her and struck the ice trap with a sudo; she made no effort to stop me. She turned her back to us. A large crack ran through the ice and the whole thing shattered seconds later. Jet started to fall forward but I was there to spot him. I helped him to his feet and the Freedom Fighter took a good look at me. The large smile returned to his handsome face. I surprised him with a glomp-hug and he returned the display of affection. It was nice to feel his friendly yet strong embraces. "It's been a while." He marveled once we let go of each other.

"Too long." I agreed, remembering how I'd promised to visit him and the others over a year ago. "How is everybody?" Jet grinned warmly.

"I knew you were going to ask that. They're great, and Zaida says hi." My spirits rose. Zaida and the others _had _made it safely to the Earth Kingdom. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest. I wished nothing but the best for my friends.

"How do you two know each other?" Katara suddenly intervened. After all, there was no clear indication of how I was acquainted with Jet.

"Before I stayed in Gaoling, I passed through the town and forest where the Freedom Fighters lived." I explained.

"Karuna stuck up for The Duke and I when we were in a jam with some Fire Nation soldiers." Jet helped to tell the story. Gratefulness still shown in his eyes. I wanted to ask how Katara and Jet knew one another but had a feeling it would create more tension than necessary. Jet wandered up to a still hesitant Katara.

"Why should I believe you now?" The water-bender asked, more calmly then. Her anger had indeed died down, but something in her voice told me that she was still close to livid deep down inside. Jet must have done something really infuriating in order to get on this girl's bad side.

Jet lowered his head and his tone was filled with sorrow. "I've done a number of things I'm not proud of. Believe me Katara, I'm ashamed, I really am. But my mistakes are something that remorse nor regret can fix. That's why I came here to Ba Sing Se, to start over with a clean slate. I've changed my ways." Katara studied him for a long time, deciding how she would handle the situation.

"Fine." She breathed, accepting his testimony. "Karuna, we should finish handing out these flyers." The darker skinned girl looked my way.

"Mind if I help?" Jet asked politely. Katara sighed then nodded in approval. I guess she thought the more the merrier.

The three of us left the alley and continued through the bizarre. "Wow Jet, you really _have _changed!" I pointed out. "Where's your wheat grass?" The boy chuckled at the fact that I had noticed nothing was in his mouth.

"I know! Bee told me how unsanitary it could be. Who knows how many animals piss on those kinds of plants."

"Bee's here too?" I wanted to clarify. He _had _been alone when Katara and I first approached him.

"Yeah, her and Longshot and somewhere around here." He replied. "So what are the flyers for?"

Katara tacked some of the posters to wooden posts on the outsides of shops. "Appa's missing. We're all trying to find him." A look of sympathy came across the older teen's face. He frowned and gave his condolences.

"Have you tried the black market?" Katara shook her head.

"We've asked multiple people if they knew anything. All their answers were the same, and none of them could give us a straight up response." The water-bender replied. Jet rubbed his chin for a moment while he thought.

"That's pretty strange. Just about every city has an illegal market...they're not telling you something." The Freedom Fighter brainstormed.

"It _was _pretty odd that out of the eight people we sought out, none would give us a straight answer." I threw in my two cents. Jet was on the right track. Something was definitely off. I could sense it.

"Well I guess we're gonna have to find it ourselves." Jet shrugged, the spirit of adventure evident in his mischievous grin. Katara looked a little uneasy about our new quest. "I know just the guy to help us." He reassured her. Not even two seconds later, a voice called out from around the corner.

"Jet!" The brown haired boy turned at the sound of his name. _That voice!_ The teen grinned and chuckled to himself.

"Perfect timing."

He emerged from the sea of people crowding around the different posts and shops. His shoes were black shinobi sandals that only revealed his toes. Bands were wrapped around one of his pant legs. His collar was open, showing off the top of his chest. Two straps ran from shoulder down around the waist; escrimas* strapped onto his back. There was a depiction of a yellow sun in the middle of his white headband. Some of his spiky, chestnut colored hair spilled over the headband, covering part of the design. His eyes were stormy gray and seemed to know things that I wouldn't attempt to understand in my dizziest daydreams.

I knew we were making eye contact due to his irises; they were centered perfectly. This boy, who I h dreamt of early twice a week was in my presence. In the short moments, I felt a connection with him. It was unspoken and silent but I felt as if I _knew _him.

"My friend here just happens to be a bounty hunter." Jet's speech brought my mind back to a conscious state. "I'll be if anyone knows anything about the black market, it's him." I was still paralyzed with wonder in the boy's presence. Katara spoke for the both of us.

"A bounty hunter? In Ba Sing Se?" I began to follow her thought process; the idea didn't make a ton of sense. Why would a bounty hunter be needed here when the Dai Li acted as a police force?

The older boy's voice was mature and deeper than Jet's, almost like a man's. "You'd be surprised at some of the activities that take place in your average city." He responded, tapping his escrimas.

"_You're_ a bounty hunter?" I clarified. He looked about Sokka or Zuko's age, maybe slightly older. He was just a kid-like us. Whenever I thought of bounty hunters, I thought of scruffy looking men in middle adulthood. "How old are you?"

"What's it to you?" He remarked in a way that was short and unexpected, but not quite rude. I blinked, not sure if I should take that offensively or not.

"I was just asking..." I shyly explained.

"Well, sometimes asking won't always give you an answer." He replied with the same polite manner mixed with curtness. I began to feel slightly agitated by the way he spoke.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" I asked bluntly, almost feeling insulted. It wasn't as if I had asked for his whole life story or deepest secret. Was it really that hard to just say?

The boy with the white headband shook his head slowly, a sly smirk on his lips. "Typical earth-bender." He mused. "So stubborn." All I could do was gap at him open mouthed. How could he tell that about me in two minutes time? How could he seem to read my mind when not even spirits had the power of telekinesis? "Oh come on now," the older boy bantered. "don't be so surprised. It doesn't take a genius to figure something like that out. You're barefoot. What kind of person walks through city streets without shoes on?" He pointed out. I looked down at my own two feet and realized the boy was right. I must have forgotten all about footwear when we departed for town earlier. The boy continued. "It doesn't look like you stem from poverty," he eyed my clothing. "and from what I can tell, you don't seem to suffer from mental instability. Process of elimination." Katara and I exchanged a glance of wonder. This guy was precise and thorough with what he took in. "Hey, I just pay attention to things. And if you want to find your sky bison," he unrolled the poster that was in his hands. "you're going to have to as well."

The boy began to head off into one direction with Jet, while Katara and I were still hesitant. Finally, the two of us followed the boys.

"What did you say your name was?" Katara called out to the boy with the white headband.

"I didn't." Was the response that followed from up ahead. I glared at the back of the boy's head. I was thoroughly annoyed at the way he answered simple and harmless questions and I had had enough of it.

"Perfectly fine with me," I snorted. " 'Hey You!' Is what I'm going to call you from now on." To my surprise, he laughed at my smartypants comment.

"I like your sense of humor. As tempting as that sounds, I'd rather just go by 'Raiden.' The other name kind of lacks individuality." _Ya think?_

_Raiden..._

The other three found Katara and I with Jet and Raiden not too long after. We brought them up to speed on what they missed while distributing flyers. The six of us followed Raiden to wherever he was taking us. He stopped outside of an animal housing barn. "Best bet is to check this place out." He suggested. "The place is big enough for a bison." We entered the barn and foul animal stench was definitely in the air. The insides of the barn had probably seen better days, but most importantly, it was empty. Not a single animal in sight.

"Well, that was a waste." Katara muttered under her breath. Toph wandered further into the barn and leaned down towards something at her feet. She rose, a white clump of fur was in her open palm. _Appa's fur! _I recognized it anywhere!

"He was here!" My cousin determined. Aang looked hopeful, yet hung his head. We were getting closer and closer to finding our large animal friend.

Out of nowhere, an elderly man appeared, broom in his hand. His beard was as white as snow. "They finally shipped 'im out to that island," relief was evident in the old man's speech. "beast was a handful to look after-fur _everywhere!"_ He emphasized, sweeping the floor.

"What island?" Aang asked to obtain any type of information that would help him reunite with his companion.

The man scratched his head. "Whale Tale Island I believe." Then he went back to his sweeping as if we weren't there at all.

"That's so far..." Sokka's voice was low as he looked at the location on a map. The island was near the South Pole. "We'd never be able to get there all on our own."

"But if that's where Appa is we have to!" Aang protested. Sokka could only sigh. Aang was partially right; we wanted our bison friend to be safe and sound and we had no hope of completing Aang's task without him. We had some serious decisions to make.

After leaving the barn, Aang and Sokka began to plan out our long trek to Whale Tale Island. My cousin never seemed happier. She threw her arms out in the air. "Yes! We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se. Worst. City. Ever!" Her cheering was soon interrupted by two familiar faces. Smellerbee and Longshot spotted us from across the street.

"Jet!" Smellerbee called out to her friend. Our gang stopped to let them catch up to us. "How did you escape?" Raiden narrowed his eyes at the Freedom Fighter leader and repeated her.

"Escape?" Suspicion lined his voice. I was curious to know what had happened as well. The girl with the red war paint nodded.

"He was arrested by the Dai Li weeks ago!" She informed us.

Out of the corner of my eye, Raiden began to reach for his escrimas slowly. Katara turned on Jet before anyone could really react. "To think I believed you when you told me you changed!" She yelled and began to lose her temper. Jet's eyes were as big as oranges.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" The boy denied. "I've been living here peacefully since I've arrived."

"Jet, be honest with me," I intervened. "What id you do?"

"Nothing!" He looked at me with disbelief. "I haven't done anything!' Toph felt the ground. She molded her face into an expression that was hard to read.

"They're both telling the truth..."

* * *

><p>"Is there anything you remember at all?" Katara prodded. The Freedom Fighter sat on a wooden stool while the rest of us sat around him. His apartment was small and contained one mattress off in a corner. It wasn't much, but it was the best place to interrogate him. Jet searched his mind but again, found nothing. Sokka had a theory that Jet had been brainwashed, and as far fetched as it sounded, it soon began to make sense. Plus, it was the only legitimate reason to explain him and Smellerbee both telling the truth about the situation.<p>

"Come _on _Jet, think!" Raiden pushed. "Where did they take you the night you were arrested?" Jet closed his eyes and the veins on the sides of his head were visible because of the strain. The boy grunted trying to recall what had happened.

"I-don't even remember how it happened but...it was dark. That's all I can remember." Without thinking, I drew closer and cupped my hands around the older teen's head.

"Jet, _please_ keep trying." I coaxed him. I let my chi flow to my finger tips and let the subtle heat sink into his skin. The boy relaxed at my touch and exhaled slowly. Moments later, his pupils shrank and I watched as he recalled more previous events. Jet soon stood up and out of my grasp. His dark eyes were wide open, seeming as if he just had an epiphany.

"There's a headquarters!" He began to spit out. "Somewhere else-somewhere outside the city! It's by water!" The boy rambled on. "By a lake-it's by a lake!" He exclaimed, remembering at last.

"Laogai." Raiden uttered from his sport against the threshold. "It's outside the Eastern walls." Sokka's ears perked up as he began to make the connection as well.

"Joo Dee mentioned Lake Laogai to us once before!" He reported. "That has to be the place!"

The three Freedom Fighters, Raiden and my gang arrived at the lake in the late afternoon. Jet scanned the shore as well as the water, soaking in the scene for a second time. "It's around here somewhere." Out there? It couldn't be. There was nothing but a sandy shore and water the stretched out a mile by two miles. I tread across the sand, thinking that it must have a secret entrance if it really was where Jet claimed it to be. Toph beat me to it.

"There's a tunnel...over there." She pointed down at the water a little ways away. She pushed her arms down and out. Up from the water rose a stone walkway with what looked like a circle cap at the end. Sokka and Longshot lifted up the cap and peered down. There wasn't a whole lot of light down there. A ladder went all the way to the bottom-about 30 feet or so.

"So, who wants to go first?" Sokka asked.

The Dai Li headquarters were all in underground tunnels. Torches with green flames lit the number of different routes. Everyone followed Jet since he was the only one who had ever been down there. It wasn't long until we approached a stone door shaped like a huge trapezoid. Jet paused as he eyed it. "I have a feeling this is it." He told us. The older teen pushed at the stone and surprisingly, it budged. The nine of us eagerly flooded into the chamber. It was enormous, and circular, but above all, empty. Aang's face fell; he was so anxious to rescue Appa. "He must be in a different one." Jet breathed, feeling disappointed that he led us to the wrong room.

Rubble crumbled at my foot, a piece hitting my big toe. I stopped in my tracks and looked up. Clinging to the stalactites and the ceiling high up above were members of the Dai Li. I had instantly noticed them because of their recognizable robes and headgear. "Up there!" I hollered and pointed up at the agents. The gang glanced up as well and then were instantly on the defense. The Dai Li dropped down from the ceiling and landed around us. They had known we were coming.

Long Feng appeared in the doorway, blocking our only escape route. "It was foolish of you to come here. You are all enemies of the state. Take them." The Dai Li dropped down from the ceiling, and more rose up from the floor all around us. Long Feng gave his agents the signal and the attack began.

Two agents shot out rock hands at my cousin. Toph heard them flying through the air and burst the hands into pebbles. She then extracted two huge columns from the ground underneath where the agents stood. Jet joined in the fight moments later. He charged at another agents with his hook swords in hand and crushed the rock hands. With a sword, he caught the member around his ankle and yanked out from under his feet. Aang used both air-bending an earth-bending to ward off the other agents closest to him. All of a sudden, more rock hands shot out towards Sokka and Katara. I jumped in front of their course and blocked out with both hands, smashing the rock hands before they reached their target.

Toph was soon busy taking on two Dai Li agents up high upon rock pillars. None could match her skill level. Then, a stone hand grabbed her from the back of her tunic and pulled her down from her column. My cousin was falling fast and I thanked the spirits I was close enough. "Oof!" Toph landed in my outstretched arms and bounced up again, ready for another round.

"Cover me!" Jet ran alongside Raiden towards two opposing Dai Li. From behind them, Longshot fired arrows from his bow that stopped incoming projectiles. The other two boys used their weapons in a very similar style. Jet hit the rocks shooting towards him with his hook swords and Raiden struck the stone hands that were aimed at him with his iron escrimas.

I was fighting besides Katara and Smellerbee when I looked up to see Long Feng fleeing the scene. "He's escaping!" Aang shouted. He and Jet took off after the man, leaving the others to deal with the Dai Li.

"Wait!" I hollered at them, but the boys were already in pursuit. Raiden and I made brief contact and instantly took action. The two of us bolted through the hole Aang had made.

Though the boys had a few second head start, Raiden and I were practically at their heels. We ran after them through a narrow passageway. This chamber was also a dead end. Pipes lined the walls, spewing out water which flowed down through the outermost edges of the floor. A slamming sound caused the four of us to whirl around. The passage was no closed and blended in with the wall as if there was no opening at all. Long Feng dropped down from somewhere up above. "Alright avatar, you and your _friends," _he glared at us other three. "have caused me enough trouble. If you want your bison back this is your last chance." Aang widened his stance and pointed his staff out at the Dai Li's leader.

"Tell me where he is!" The air nomad demanded.

"If you exit the city now, I will allow you to leave with your lost pet and all charges against you will be wavered." Long Feng began to strike a deal with him. I couldn't tell what Aang was thinking, but Jet didn't seem to like the idea of the barter.

"You're in no position to bargain!" He spat.

Long Feng only grinned devilishly in response. "Am I not?" I tightened my firsts and raised them up. I despised this man as much as it was possible to loathe someone. He had no right to pull us all into his sinister schemes.

"You're definitely not!" I agreed. Long Feng directed his gaze over to the boy with the shoulder pads.

"Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai..." Jet's mouth twitched, and then his pupils shrank. _Uh oh!_

"I am honored to except his invitation." The boy responded in a monotone fashion. All of a sudden you growled and swung his swords at Aang. The avatar ducked out of the way and retreated back several steps, clutching his staff out in front of him. Jet charged at him, swords held out at his sides. Raiden pushed the air-bender out of the way and met Jet's swords with his escrimas. The clanging sound of metal echoed off the walls as the boys duked it out. Jet was definitely rage driven and wasn't in a clear state of mind, I could tell that for sure. His eyes seemed empty, just like Joo Dee's had.

"Jet stop!" Aang objected from next to me on the sidelines. "We're your friends-stop fighting him!" I knew I should have stepped in, but I couldn't use my earth-bending to stop the fight. One of them would most likely get injured, and possibly badly. We had to rely on Raiden to bring him back to his senses. "You don't have to do this!"

Jet paused his onslaught, leaving three feet of space between him and the bounty hunter. Sweat trickled down his forehead and he was breathing heavily. "I'm afraid he has no choice." Long Feng's icy voice discouraged Aang. Jet resumed the battle with the Raiden and the two struck away at one another again. Jet was beginning to tire because he staggered a lot and his shoulders rose and fell from his inhaling and exhaling. Raiden sent Jet sliding backwards with a sidekick to his stomach.

"Jet, snap out of it!" I cried out to him. Long Feng was still persistent.

"Do what is commanded of you, Jet!" The boy stopped again to catch his breath and stared Raiden down. He raised his swords up again.

"Don't let him control yo,u Jet!" I countered, hoping that somehow we could break the trance that he was ensnared in. "Think of what you stand for-you're a Freedom Fighter!" That was the trigger word. Jet's pupils widened and his face was no longer contorted into a snarl. His eyes had a far off look to them as he stared out past us.

"Do it! Silence them all!" Long Feng demanded from behind him. Jet's eyes narrowed and he twisted around quickly. With a swift movement, the boy roared and hurled one of his swords at the Dai Li's leader. It was fast but not fast enough. Long Feng dodged the thrown weapon and punched outward. The ground began to ripple. _OH NO! _A large dust and dirt cloud rose into the air, prohibiting vision. I drew my right arm back and struck out into the air with my fingers tight together and palm open. Something rumbled, but I don't know if it hit its target or not. When the smoke cleared, a tall earth column took the place of where Long Feng had been, and in the middle of the floor was a diagonal stalagmite. Jet lay on the ground just in front of it.

"Jet..." I knelt down by his right and Aang on his left. The Freedom Fighter looked up at us and barely tilted his head to look at all three of us. "I'm sorry guys, he apologized." The avatar shook his head.

"No, don't be."

The rest of the group, led by Toph, entered the chamber. Gasps were open all their faces as they took in the scene. The gang gathered around Jet moments after. Katara used her water to inspect his internal wounds. She then proclaimed the injuries to be lethal. "You guys go on and find Appa," Smellerbee urged us. "We'll stay with him."

"We're not going to leave you." Katara insisted, voice bursting with emotion. Then, to everyone's surprise. Longshot spoke up.

"There isn't any time. Go. We'll take care of Jet. He's our leader." The archer decided wisely. No one argued with the quite fighters decision. Jet mustered up a dry smile though I knew he must have been in mass amounts of pain.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine." Katara touched his arm one last time before rising. My gang began to leave. They hurried for the exit but halted once they discovered I was not among them. I breathed in deeply before speaking.

"I need to stay." I don't know how they heard from their location in the room; the words barely came out of my throat. But Aang, Toph, Sokka and Katara knew to carry on without me for the time being. The four of them went off to keep looking for Appa, leaving the five us alone.

Smellerbee had been suppressing tears during the whole conversation, and now she was finally letting them fall down her cheeks and run down her war paint. Longshot held a grim expression upon his face as he glanced down at his leader who was slowly slipping. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, but failed. At the sight of this, water began to well up in Jet's olive colored eyes as well. "I'm so sorry Karuna." The boy whimpered, his voice hoarse. My breathing quickened as I realized his time was beginning to run out. I shook my head, rivers running down my cheeks and onto his uniform.

"No, _I'm _sorry." The words were almost chocked out. "I never should have lied to you." I cried. "When you met me back in the Earth Kingdom, I was Fire Nation. I was a _fire-bender."_ I spilled the truth out to him. He needed to know who I was and who I had been. There was no other time I could reveal this to him. If Jet was shocked or appalled, his expressions didn't give it away. Instead, the older boy gazed into my eyes for a few moments which felt like a few years. He shook his head as much as he could.

"You'll never be Fire Nation in my eyes." This caused me to sob even more. My breathing was becoming uncontrolled, and my frontal lobe began to ache. "You're above them." I cried hard into his shoulder and with his right hand he held my arm.

"Jet..._please_," I pleaded with him, my voice wavering. "Don't go." No, I couldn't lose another person in my life. I couldn't lose him too.

"My destiny's been filled, Karuna." He stated, in a stable and ready voice. "You have to live for both of us now." He held my hand and squeezed it tight. I couldn't bear to see him go through with this. We could get him to a hospital. Why didn't Katara heal him on the spot? I thought of at least a million ways to prevent the inevitable from occurring. Jet looked at me with the same sweet face that led me to fall for him all those months ago. "One last time...for memories sake?..." I inhaled deeply, regaining some of my composure. I leaned in closer and brushed the spiky bangs out of his eyes. I closes my soaking eyes and brought my lips to his. The rough yet yielding warmth brought me back to a simpler time. A time I wished wasn't so far away. In the moments of this last kiss was when I realized I still had unresolved feelings for the Freedom Fighter. I shouldn't have come to this. But here we were.

It felt like an eternity though it had only been a few moments once the kiss was over. All too soon it feel like eons ago. Jet closed his eyes.* "So far away, we wait for the day..." he began to sing a song that we all used to sing back when I was with the Freedom Fighters. It had been too long since I had partaken in that tune.

"For the lives all so wasted and gone..."

"We feel the pain, of a lifetime lost in a thousand days..."

"Through the fire and the flames we carry on."*

We finished together, while Smellerbee and Longshot hummed along In the background. Jet's smile reached from ear to ear. It was a weaker smile but one of the most beautiful I had ever seen on the boy's face. All I wanted to do was hold him. Jet gagged and soon succumbed to a coughing fit. I looked on with horror as the boy spat up blood which dripped down from the corners of his lips. The fit soon ceased and he laid his head back down on the stone. He did not move again.

I collapsed next to his body in agony. A loud cry escaped from my lungs. _Not another. NOT ANOTHER! _Smellerbee wept beside me as well. Longshot placed his hat over his heart and remained still. Raiden stared at the stone for some time, his eyes were narrowed. His lip quivered and I knew that something inside him was stirring. His arms shook slightly and the condition grew more intense over time. A deafening bellow shook the walls themselves in the chamber. "YOU BASTARD!" He screamed up at the tunnel Long Feng escaped in, as if our antagonist was still watching from above. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" The bounty hunter's tone sent shivers down my spine. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU BASTARD-YOU KILLED HIM!" Raiden withdrew his escrimas from on his back. "I'm going after him." He told us, in a much lowered voice. His attention snapped back to the tunnel above. "I'm gonna find you, you SONOFABITCH!" The bounty hunter sped towards the earth column left behind, ran up the wall behind it, and jumped back and forth between the column and wall until he reached the top. Then he charged into the tunnel.

The chamber was desolate once more. The silence engulfed the last of us.

* * *

><p><strong>References:<strong>

*_ **escrimas** are Filipino fighting sticks-if you broke a bo staff in half that's a lot like how they would look_

_* The **song** the Freedom Fighters were singing is "Through the Fire and the Flames" by metal artist Dragonforce  
>(I thought it was fitting for them) <em>


	10. Team Avatar Goes On Hiatus

Hey guys SORRY I was a few hours behind schedule! I'm trying to manage my time better, I REALLY am. Anywho a few things about this chapter: there isn't a whole lot of action going on because as you can see, this chapter takes place during the time the gang splits up so it heavily has to do with Karuna and Katara and another character who I personally think deserved more screen time in the show. Well I won't give anything away but there _will _be a bit of a **femslash** here. Nothing real intense but not subtle at all either. Kudos to you if you can catch the **song reference** in the first paragraph! I promise next chapter will have more actual action in it! Enjoy!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>The drops of melancholy and infinite sadness rolled off the edges of my cheeks and down onto the lush green below. Longshot laid the two hook swords down on the grass across each other. The silent boy stepped back to look upon the sacred spot alongside Smellerbee and I. A fully bloomed Cherry Blossom Tree provided shade for the curved blades. The red leaves rustled in the slight wind.<p>

I wiped my eyes with the sides of my hand. "Where will you go now?" I asked the remaining Freedom Fighters. The look on Smellerbee's face was one of a lost child, unsure of where to go. Longshot gently reached out to hold her hand.

"Where the spirits see fit." He replied in a calm and steady voice. I nodded, wishing the best for them. "Wherever life takes us, you'll find us, Karuna." I inhaled deeply and tried my best to stay positive. The muscles in my face hurt to fake the expression. It took so much to hold in all the sorrow. I had to be strong now, even during this time. I couldn't dwell on this any longer than any of the other tragedies which had long passed. It was an unemotional tactic, but I convinced myself that I needed to get over it.

My eyes shifted to the sky; orange sunset with small clusters of cirrus clouds high up above. There was something hopeful in the air that out weighed the bad down all around me. I drew in breath, letting the tranquility clear my mind. Off in the distance, I saw something white with many legs soaring towards the outer wall. _Appa! _For a moment, I was filled with joy; our Sky Bison friend was back. But soon after, my mind began to panic.

Smellerbee must have been sharing the same thoughts as me as she followed my gaze. "Surely they're not leaving..." It was a statement as well as a question. I'd never think the gang would abandon me, but there was no telling what was going on. Things were never exactly clear with our group. "Go after them," the warrior girl encouraged. "they need you." My spirits rose as a smile began to return to my saddened face. Longshot dipped his head and his lips curved upward ever so slightly. His eyes shined with a warm inviting glow.

_Farewell, Karuna. Until next time._

My feet plowed through the grass and dirt as the earth rumbled and shifted behind me. I was using a technique Toph had taught me a while back which she called 'earth-running.' The outer wall where the gang had headed was still a ways away, but I was making great time with only my bending to help. It felt as if I had mowed over 100 fields or more before the wall was in full view. Residue from the clouds of dirt I had produced during the running spread over parts of my tunic. This didn't bother me in the least bit. Destination first, wardrobe later.

I stopped at the base of the adobe wall and pushed my arms up above me. An elevator of earth lifted me higher and higher as I concentrated on my location and form. Finally, I hopped over the ramparts and found the gang with King Kuei. The Earth King was glancing down below at the wreckage of the Fire Nation drill that the team and I had took out weeks ago; the poorly informed king was trying to comprehend what had happened there. "Karuna!" Katara noticed me first and left the others to approach me. The water-bender paused, studying my still puffy eyes. "...he's..?" I closed my eyes and bit down on my lower lip to keep from crying out. All it took was a subtle head nod to communicate the message. Instantly, the darker skinned girl held me in a tight embrace. Though it were only mere seconds it felt like centuries had gone by. Once the moment between us ended, Sokka elbowed me.

"You wouldn't believe the hell we went through to get to this guy." He harshly whispered, jabbing a thumb at the Earth King.

"You should have seen it, Karuna," the air nomad chimed in. "We were totally outnumbered but we beat them! And Toph was amazing!" The boy described the events of their battle on the way into the palace and how Toph turned the gargantuan steps into one enormous flat surfaced slide. Thought it was impressive, I wasn't the least bit surprised; my cousin was an incredibly talented earth-bender.

Toph shrugged the praise off modestly. "Eh. You were alright yourself, twinkle-toes." She returned the compliment.

The Earth King still marveled at the remains of the drill. "I can't believe I never knew." The royal hung his head down in shame. I felt sorry for the man. His court had kept most of the current outside world a mystery to him.

All of a sudden, Long Feng and two agents rose up from a stone platform. _What?_ That guy was still around? When he fled through the underground pipes I thought he was gone for good. "I can explain, your majesty." The sneaky man intervened in the same condescending way he said most things. "This is nothing more than a construction site." _Bullshit. _How did this man expect to pull that out of his ass and make it believable? The king had clearly seen the drill for what it was. Long Feng needed a wake up call.

"Yeah, a construction site with the Fire Nation symbol on it-clear as day. I'm _sure_ his majesty buys that one." I remarked. At this time, King Kuei glared at Long Feng over his spectacles. Long Feng nervously folded his arms into his robes.

"Well, you see-"

"Enough." Kuei stopped the traitorous man. "Dai Li, arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom." _Hell yeah! You go, Kuei! _My mind cheered. The gang and I were all speechless and the look on Long Feng's face was priceless. The tricky bastard finally got what was coming to him.

The Dai Li agents took Long Feng away in metal cuff restraints while the man ranted and raved about how we needed him more than we knew and couldn't possibly arrest him. Trial seemed to lenient a punishment in my opinion. I wanted justice for what he had done to my friend; an eye for an eye. But I was not a killer, nor was I one to wish cruel and ill things on others. The trial would have to do.

"Looks like Long Feng is _Long Gone!_" Sokka cracked up at his own joke. We shook our heads at the Water Tribe boy once he admitted that he had been waiting to use that line.

* * *

><p>Back inside the palace, the five of us stood before the king on his thrown. "I am grateful to you all. Without your help I still wouldn't know the truth or who I could trust." Kuei pondered where he sat, his robes of green and yellow shifted as he repositioned himself. "We're at war...with the <em>Fire Nation."<em> The words came out with tones of shock and disbelief. I knew it would take some time for the king to process everything and come to grips on the situation.

Aang stepped forward. "That's not all your majesty. A comet is coming at the end of summer-one that will make the Fire Nation even stronger then they've already become."

"They'd become the ultimate superpower." I added, supporting my air-bender friend's claim. "The power of the comet will make the practically invincible." I remembered Ozai mentioning Sozin's Comet in my presence numerous times when I had lived in the Fire Nation. "By then, it would be too late to take action. The other nations wouldn't stand a chance." The Earth King took in everything we said, hanging onto our every last words.

"But there is a way your majesty." Sokka joined in the debate. "A solar eclipse is going to occur in a handful of weeks." He informed Kuei. "It will leave the fire-benders powerless-this would be the perfect time to strike! We need to invade the Fire Nation on the day of black sun." I had heard Sokka's plan many times before but this particular time in the presence of the Earth King, it seemed so dramatic and exhilarating-the idea. I had to hand it to the Water Tribe boy, his methods of strategy were much better than when I first met him.

King Kuei thought over Sokka's proposition for a few moments. I could tell that he wanted to make the right decision for his Kingdom;especially since he had been completely out of the loop for years beforehand. The plan that Sokka devised would require numerous Earth Kingdom troops. Kuei was hesitant about sacrificing his men; many lives could be lost. More convincing words from Sokka eventually swayed the king over to our side. "Alright, you have my support." The king agreed to go along with the plan and would ally his troops with us.

The conversation was politely interrupted by a man with a rather large, brown beard. He wore an elegant uniform of beige and gold; a green cape dropped down from his shoulders. I knew he had to be a military official. There was no mistaking it. "I'm sorry to intervene, your majesty," the man started. He bowed at the king's throne. Kuei didn't seem bothered at all by the interruption.

"This is General How, the leader of the Council of Five-my highest ranking Generals."

General How raised his head to address the king "We've searched Long Feng's office. There's something that was found that will interest all of you."

We followed the General into the eerie looking library that Long Feng had taken us to nearly a month ago. On a table in the center of the room was a chest of the colors of light brown and gold. "It looks like Long Feng kept a file on just about everyone in the city-even you kids." General How reported. "These are some of the files." The Earth King sat at the table and searched through the trunk.

"Aang" Kuei handed the avatar a scroll and How informed him that it had been attached to Appa's horn when he was captured. Aang unrolled the parchment and scanned the text. Next, his eyes widened in both surprise and glee.

"There's someone living at the Easter Air Temple! They say they can teach me how to control the avatar state!" The boy exclaimed. I gave him a look of encouragement and shared his enthusiasm.

"Toph Bei Fong." My cousin was also handed a scroll, but since she couldn't read Katara had to instead. It was a letter from her mother saying that she was in the city and wanted to see Toph.

"Long Feng intercepted our mail from home?" She asked rhetorically. "Wow. Now that's just sad."

"There wouldn't happen to be anything for my brother and I, would there?" Katara asked hopefully. The king checked the trunk quickly and shook his head. The Water Tribe siblings shrank down in statures with somber expressions.

"However," their ears perked up at How's voice. "there is an intelligence report that might interest you." How handed them the report and Sokka and Katara anxiously took hold of it and began to read it together.

"A small fleet of Water Tribe ships..." Katara began out loud then trailed off to read silently in her head. Sokka looked over her shoulder as she continued. "Protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay..." Sokka's face lit up; the bay was not too far away from the city. "...led by Hakoda-it _is _Dad!" Katara squealed while she and Sokka jumped up and down. I was glad for them. Katara had told me it had been a few years since they'd last seen their father. He was their only parent since their mother was deceased.

"Did Karuna get anything?" Aang wondered while I remained quiet. He was such a thoughtful person-thinking of others all the time. The air-bender was a sweet kid, if only Katara noticed his attempts at flirting.

"The only thing we discovered having to do with you, Karuna, was a file Long Feng had written on you." I couldn't even begin to imagine what my file might possibly contain. I was actually pretty curious what was on it. How glanced back at me and realized I was waiting for him to continue. "..would you like me to read it?" I nodded. The General reached into the bottom of the chest and extracted a few sheets of parchment that were not rolled up. He cleared his throat and began to read the file.

"Karuna, ally of the avatar-member of the Bei Fong family. Related to Toph Bei Fong through father's side." _What a creeper! How would Long Feng know personal family details such as this? _"Age: unknown. Description: meddlesome, impulsive, arrogant, difficult, stubborn." I laughed sheepishly. At least half of the description was right. "Earth-bender: Movement and form very quick and light-footed for the Hung Gar* style." I gulped. Was it possible for the average person to tell that earth was not my primary element? How did Long Feng pay attention to every possible detail? How paused again. "What's stranger is that underneath your file is one of someone's who belonged to the Fire Nation." My stomach lurched. _Oh no..._I had thought Long Feng was bluffing when he called me out weeks ago. It seemed as though he was barely guessing- trying to pin me with disloyalty that evening at the king's party for his bear. "An official of the military-marked dead."

My heart was in my throat. If that didn't give me away, I don't know what would. The silence was fatal to my well-being; my response would be the deciding factor in the events that would occur next. Part of me wanted to give up and come clean. I was going to be caught in this huge lie and now seemed like the time to confess. I was going to crack I just knew it, though my lungs begged me not to speak. They would hate me for it-I knew that much. Or, at least resent me until the end of time. _Jet didn't..._my conscience reminded me. And for a moment, wishful thinking led me on a journey of grandeur. I would never know the reaction until it happened. My insides twisted. _What to say?_ This internal debate took place only in a matter of seconds.

"That _is _weird..." I agreed with the General.

* * *

><p>"We're going to have to split up." Katara sighed. The five of us sat in various spots on the floor in the library after the king and his General left. The carpet had a funny texture and I was busy moving my bare feet across it while my friends discussed what to do next.<p>

"What?" Aang cried in disbelief. "We've just gotten everyone back together and now you want us to split up?"

Katara took a deep breath before explaining. "It's the only plausible way to get everything done that needs to be taken care of. You _need _to see that guru, Aang." The air nomad realized she was indeed right. "We also have to work out the strategies and kinks in the invasion plan." she added.

Sokka stood up and stretched his upper body. "Well I guess that settles it. I'll stay here and plan out the rest of the invasion with the king and his Generals. And you can go and visit Dad." The older boy seemed bummed and a tad disappointed at his decision. Though I was not his sibling, I felt proud at his choice and responsibility that he was willing to take on.

Katara began to ponder for a second then shook her head. "No, you go to Chameleon Bay. I know you've wanted to see Dad for a long time. _I _can stay here and plan for the invasion." She offered. Her brother's face lit up and he danced around the room excitedly with a cheesy grin plastered to his face.

"You are the nicest sister ever!" Sokka hugged Katara tightly. The water-bender laughed while also trying to escape his grasp. He held her pretty tight.

"Easy big brother, you won't have a sister anymore if you don't let go." Out of all the sibling pairs I had seen in my 14 years, never before had I seen the type of relationship that Sokka and Katara had. The two took care of one another and were able to coexist in harmony a majority of the time. Sure, they argued from time to time, but usually they treated one another with respect and love; in other words, like family. They were nothing like Zuko and Azula.

"From what _my _letter said, it sounds like my mom finally understands me." Toph declared. "And she really wants to see me." That was it. We all had something we needed to attend to...well _almost _all of us.

"Okay," Aang began. "Since Sokka and I are both leaving the city, we can go on Appa. Toph can go see her mom and then Katara can help the Council of Five here at the palace."

Sokka stopped him for a second. "Yeah that works but wait a sec," the warrior boy turned to me. "What are you gonna do then, Karuna?" I had been awfully quiet the past 15 or so minutes-they had almost forgotten I was among them.

"I kinda wanted to check out the city more, but I could stay and help Katara too." It was settled. Team Avatar was going to disperse for the time being.

Outside the steps of the palace the next morning, the boys got ready for their short journey. The girls and I helped them pack for their trips. We had acquired a new saddle for Appa and from what I could tell, the Sky Bison approved of it. Aang was about to spill his guts to Katara (unknown to her) but like the few other times I had witnessed, the opportunity quickly vanished. However, she did kiss him on the cheek and the air nomad was in a daze after that. I grabbed Aang in a playfully headlock. "Aww I'm gonna miss you baldy!" The avatar fought against my hold in equal banter and swatted me away. Next, I bid farewell to Sokka.

"You and Katara look out for each other, okay?" He advised as I embraced him. I would definitely miss his sarcasm and lame jokes. "And since Long Feng is out of the picture, go wild! Break some rules! Throw a party! Order a pizza!" I gave the Water Tribe boy a weird look.

"What the heck is pizza, Sokka?" The word was unfamiliar in my vocabulary. Katara laughed and shook her head at her older brother.

"He makes up words when he's excited." She clarified. I laughed with her at her brother's oddness. Then, I remembered something that I couldn't believe took me so long to process.

"Guys!" I exclaimed, an epiphany fresh in my mind. "I just thought of something," they waited eagerly for what I had to say. "Where's Raiden?" There was a slight pause after my question as the rest of the gang began to think.

"He's a bounty hunter," Sokka pointed out. "There was probably another job for him to take care of out there." The warrior boy gestured towards the rest of Ba Sing Se.

"But he went after Long Feng down at the headquarters-after you guys had gone!" I shared with them. "They threw Long Feng in a cell but I don't know what's happened to Raiden since." Worry began to work its way up my spine. Though I hadn't known the bounty hunter for very long, I still felt a connection to him. He had fought with Aang and I to gain back Jet's sanity and free our Sky Bison.

"Long Feng knew he had to cover his tracks once we found the Dai Li's headquarters." My cousin analyzed the situation. "No offense to Raiden, but he probably wasn't fast enough to catch him. If he waited that long before pursuing, there's a slim chance the two would've encountered one another." Sokka was right. Toph's powers of perception were frightening; she paid attention to things more than I did. The more I thought it over, the more sense I came to make of it. Raiden became discouraged after Long Feng disappeared. He must have gave up the search and retreated into the city. If he was angry enough, Raiden might have even left Ba Sing Se altogether.

"Well, we should get going." Aang broke my trance. The air nomad jumped high up and onto Appa. One of the king's messengers ran from the gates all the way over to where we were.

"Your highness," The messenger started, almost completely winded. "Three female warriors have arrived in the city. They come from Kyoshi Island!"

"Suki!" Sokka suddenly shouted as he was climbing up Appa's side and into the saddle.

"Friends of yours?" Kuei asked. The five of us nodded enthusiastically.

"Definitely. The Kyoshi Warriors and us go way back," Sokka answered for us. "They're skilled fighters and great comrades to have on your side." The Earth King smiled warmly.

"Then we'll welcome and treat them as honored guests." Sokka sat down in Appa's saddle with a far off grin on his goofy face. No doubt he was thinking about Suki. I was glad that she had decided to come to Ba Sing Se too; she was a friendly person with a kick-ass attitude. I was also hoping that maybe she could show me some of her numerous take-down methods.

"This is awesome. I get to go visit Dad and when I come Suki will be waiting for me." The Water Tribe boy sighed happily. Soon after, Appa took flight and the boys went with him. The breaking up of Team Avatar had begun.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to see my mom now." Toph decided about an hour after the boys' departure. She rose up from her chair where she, Katara and I sat near one another. "If things go well, I might spend a couple of days with her."<p>

"Do you want me to come too?" I asked my younger cousin. The little earth-bender shook her head.

"No, we're due for some mother-daughter bonding time. I don't even think Dad's with her." I felt a little uneasy letting my blind, younger cousin wander the city streets by herself.

"I'll go with you." I told her. "Until we get there. After I see you off, I can go look for Raiden." Toph nodded her head to agree. "I hope you don't mind, Katara." I glanced at the darker skinned girl who lay on the couch besides us. "I won't be gone for more than two hours." Katara stretched her body out on the emerald colored fabric and yawned. She then lay her head back down on one of the comfortable pillows.

"It's fine, I was just thinking about taking a nap anyway." Within a few moments, she was asleep. This was the opportune time for Toph and I to exit the premises.

"You're sure you don't want me to stick around?" I asked my cousin once more. We had left the palace about 20 minutes ago and were following the directions in Toph's letter. Her mother was somewhere in the upper ring; another house the family owned in this part of the Earth Kingdom. It was much less crowded and filled with large houses and mansions rather than cramped apartments and stores.

"I'm sure she'd be happy to see you too, but I don't want to drag you into our debate. I don't want to turn this into a group therapy session." She joked, and I immediately thought of Mai. I chuckled with her. Maybe it was a good idea for just her and her mother to talk things out. I hugged the small earth-bender once we arrived at the estate. It was a smaller plot of land than the one her family owned in Gaoling, but it was elegant nonetheless. "Wish me luck!" I watched from farther back on the stone road as my cousin entered the mansion. Then, I turned on my feet and began to follow the road out of the upper ring and to the center of where the action was at; the bazaar.

Raiden was nowhere to be found. I had searched and searched through crowds at the market place as well as the stores and merchant's posts. I even ventured into some shady back-alleys to see if he was dealing with any thugs at the time. I searched in vain. There was no sign of the bounty hunter at all. Surely there would be a reason for him to be here; the market place must've had a bunch of thieves and knaves lurking around. Fortunately for the people in the bazaar nothing had gone awry.

"Damn it, where _is _he?" I groaned, hitting my head against a wooden beam. I had seen this boy in dreams and visions for weeks on end. There must have been a reason for it.

"Um...are you looking for someone?" A feminine voice was heard to my right. I opened my eyes and looked up. Standing near me, was a girl about my age with a long, green kimono-like shirt which nearly covered her pants. She was tan like me and her dark brown hair was in two braids that fell down in front of her shoulders. My brain short-circuited for a second before I answered her.

"Yes actually," _Doubt she'll be much help. _"His name is Raiden." I was surprised at her response.

"The bounty hunter?" I blinked. I had been ready to give up only minutes before. Had the spirits finally taken pity on me? I nodded my head wildly. "I dated him a while back." The girl told me. I tried to picture the two in my head. It wasn't hard to do; they were both attractive and looked like a good couple. "He's a very passionate guy, it's just that he was on the move so much it was hard to keep up with him." she explained. "It got to be too much." _well, bounty hunters kind of have to be constantly moving in order to catch their targets, _I thought slightly sarcastically in my head. I could see what led to their breakup though. She probably didn't get to see him as much as she wanted to.

"Oh, well he helped me and some of my friends with an issue and he went missing the other day." I replied. The girl with the braids didn't seem phased or even concerned about the situation.

"Well, that's Raiden for ya." She laughed. "Be there one minute, gone the next. The bazaar would be the best place to look for him too- there's always some type of trouble brewing somewhere that he'd be trying to put an end to. I haven't really seen him in two months though." _Two months?_ But he had just been out and about the day before yesterday! I grew more and more worried. The city was huge but I still couldn't believe the boy had the ability to vanish just like that. "Hey! Don't fret about it." She reassured me. "One Raiden makes a new friend he makes it an obligation to run into them again." At this, I suddenly felt at ease. My stomach no longer felt queasy and my head stopped aching. It was stupid of me to think anything was wrong in the first place. A bounty hunter never stayed in any particular spot for very long.

I noticed the girl held in her hand a slip of paper. The edges of it were green and I could barely make out the writing on it. It looked like a coupon. She saw I was eying it and held it up. "It's for the Jasmine Dragon, a new teashop in the upper ring. Good for one free cup of tea." She told me. " I was going to go back, you see-there's this really cute guy who works there, but I don't know...here, you take it." She handed the coupon to me. "I'm Jin by the way." The girl in green introduced herself. I shook her hand; her touch was soft yet firm.

"Karuna." I responded.

"You don't look live you're from around here." Jin observed. I shook my head. She smirked, knowing her assumption had been right. "Come on, I'll show you around!"

* * *

><p>Climbing the vast flights of steps on the gigantic staircase leading into the palace, I could see Katara standing all the way at the top. It was after dusk now and I had been out much later than I had said I would be. The cool air of the late evening sent shivers down my spine. When I finally made it to the top of the steps, the water-bender's facial expression gave away her mood. "No more than a few hours, huh?" The Water Tribe girl sarcastically remarked, not even glancing at me. Her blue irises stared out at the darkened horizon.<p>

"...sorry about that." I apologized humbly.

"Where were you?" She demanded. It was a bit harsh and sudden. Katara had a knack for acting motherly and now was one of those moments were she did so subconsciously. I didn't feel like discussing things with her, but I did anyway.

"I met someone-a girl named Jin. We hung out."

"What did you do?" She questioned. I repeated my previous response. Persistent, but not convincing enough apparently.

"We just hung out." There was a glint of something in Katara's eyes-other than frustration. It wasn't...jealousy, was it? I couldn't put my finger on it.

"For six hours?" I didn't see what the issue was here. I didn't have a curfew. Sure, I was pretty late with my timing but I had already apologized for it. Wasn't that enough?

"Yeah...well I hang out with _you _the whole day, everyday."

"That's different!" She objected. Honestly, I could not spot the difference. I didn't want to put up with this crap. I began to move past her into the palace. I was not in the mood to be mothered or policed and it was getting kind of ridiculous. I was a big girl, I could handle myself. "Did you...do anything?" I stopped twelve feet away from her. I took a deep breath and racked my brain. I slowly turned around to face Katara, mulling it over in my mind whether or not I would describe the events to her

* * *

><p><em>"C'mon, c'mon!" Jin grabbed my hand and ran with me through the alleyways and backstreets. We had stopped to play a game of kickball with some other teenagers in a vacant lot. A few of the teens happened to be earth-benders as well, so the game was wild and out of control for most of the time. There was a friendly yet competitive atmosphere and the ball never stayed in anyone's possession for more than a few seconds. Things were fun until the ball was hurled threw someone's window-that someone happened to be a big, burly man who was not very pleased. Without hesitation, everyone split.<em>

_I had no idea where we were going, so I had to rely entirely on Jin to get us out of there fast! We must have been at least six blocks away from the lot, yet we kept sprinting. My feet hurt from the constant stumbling over dips in the road and refuse on the sides of the street. Laughter rang out from the long haired girl as we continued to make our way through the winding streets. The area of the city we were currently in looked nicer and much less run down. Jin pulled me through the threshold of an apartment flat. Once inside, I held my foot and inspected the bottoms to see what I had stepped on; I was still bare foot. "This is where I live." Jin gestured to the entirety of the apartment, the rush of the getaway still in her veins. I took a look around. It was a nice place she had for herself. "I'll be right back." She told me, then disappeared into another room. The furniture in the apartment matched the rooms well and appeared to be of good quality. The floor space was great as well. I wondered were Jin worked in order to have such a nice place. I didn't think she had any roommates because the flat was pretty silent._

_There was a wooden desk in the corner of the living room with odds and ends on it that caught my eye. Among a handful of papers, was a sketch of a young man. After a few glances, I recognized the handsome face and messy chestnut colored hair. The drawing captured the side of his face and his chin was lifted upward, looking right to the sky. The young man looked different without the white headband attached to his forehead with the ends draped down his neck. I was amazed at the artwork. If Jin was the artist, she was extremely gifted._

_I placed the impressive drawing back in its spot since it was not mine. I felt a bit nosy but the paper had intrigued me. Making my way away from the corner, I sat down in a comfortable, blue armchair and made myself at home. Jin came back out moments later. Her hair was no longer in braids but now pulled back into a ponytail. She wore another green kimono-like top with shorts that could barely be seen because of the length of her shirt; the edges of this one were a dusty-gold color. Jin pulled a stool over from the table and sat near me._

_"Did you-did you draw that?" I asked, pointing over to the parchment on the desk. A grin broadened on Jin's face as she followed where I pointed to._

_"I sketch in my free time. It's one of my only creative outlets." I wish I possessed the skill that she had. A talent other than bending would be new and exciting._

_"It's amazing." I praised her work._

_"Thank you." The girl beamed. After a few moments of silence, she rose from her seat. "Do you want something to drink?" I shrugged at the offer and thought, why not? Jin wandered into the front room for a few minutes. My eyes explored the ceiling and my head felt completely empty. Where was my head? Where was I? I asked myself over and over until Jin came back into the room. She held two glasses in her hand, the liquid looked gold-beige. I took the glass, not knowing what the contents were nor even caring to ask. Lifting it up to my mouth, I took in the unknown beverage. The flavor was acquired and there was a bittersweet aftertaste. One second I was staring at a full glass and the next there was merely a sip or two left. My already damaged vision was hazy now. The room seemed to be spinning. My head was gone then. I was gone._

_I lifted my head up straight; the movement was much too slow. A simple blink of an eye took a century long to complete. When I opened my heavy eyelids, Jin had moved closer. The tan girl straddled me in the armchair and I was too dazed to give any immediate type of reaction. She took my hands which were at my sides, and placed them inside her robe. I could feel the soft material of her undershirt. Subconsciously, my calloused hands slipped down to rest on her hips. She brushed the hair out of my face, revealing the scar on my right eye. Jin barely acknowledged it, then cupped the sides of my face in her hands. My heart pounded behind my chest for a split second-the only bodily function that appeared to be in working condition. Then there was no space between us at all._

_Her lips tasted sweet and were soft and delicate to the touch. Yet, there was this fiery passion within them as well. They were like the forbidden fruit. I could feel her chest tighten as she pulled herself more into me. A breathy groan escaped my lips and I could hear a muffled sound forming in her throat as well. How long had it been? A minute? Ten minutes? Hell if I knew. By now, Jin's robe had been opened, and I could feel her entire top half against mine. Then her body would inch back slightly before pressing back into me. I felt a draft by the top of my chest and neck. My tunic had been adjusted and I hadn't even noticed. Someone's tongue was added into the mix. Whether it was mine or hers was beyond me. The action felt raw and untamed. Butterflies were erupting in my stomach, yet I couldn't exactly feel them during this time. She was running her fingers through my hair now, and the sensation felt wonderful. Spirits! Her lips were like a substance so powerful I had not choice but to succumb to them. My other sense were dulled but my limbic system was somehow in tact-living for every second of whatever this was. Ardor or lust? Both seemed the same at the time._

_Finally, we pulled back for air after what had seemed like hours. I inhaled, giving my lungs some long needed oxygen. My head was spinning. On the table behind her, Jin's glass still remained. It appeared to have been barely touched._

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><p>The images from earlier flashed in my head for only a few seconds. <em>No.<em> They were for my eyes only. I had made up my mind; Katara couldn't know. I continued to stare at eh water-bender. The gap between us seemed almost hostile. The darker skinned girl gave me a look-one that said she was sick of my stubbornness but didn't want to fight me on it. Katara didn't stop me as I retreated into the palace. I wanted to be alone, just for now.

That night in my guess room, I tossed and turned. There nothing wrong with the bed, it was perfectly comfortable. The room wasn't the problem either; it reminded me a lot of the Fire Nation palace, only much more green. Reoccurring thoughts of Jin clouded my mind. _Spirits, that cunning temptress!_ I couldn't seem to get her out of my head. Katara was in my thoughts as well. I hated seeing the water-bender upset, and something was definitely eating at her when I came back. Had she been worried that I might not return and was she that concerned with who I was in the company of? I guess she cared about me more than I realized. I felt this sudden need for her to never disapprove of my actions. Maybe it was my conscience's way of making it up to Katara. Whatever the case, I promised myself that I would return the selfless affection.

Katara was a bit surprised when she came into my room to wake me up and I was already up and bout. I still rose with the Sun. "Morning Karuna." The Water Tribe girl really only addressed me as 'Karuna' when she was being serious or if we had just had a quarrel. The last thing I wanted was for the girl to be angry with me. I was proactive for once in my life.

"Tara..." I began, calling her by the nickname I had given her. "I'm sorry about last night. It was entirely my fault, I didn't realize how late I'd be getting back." The girl smiled wryly. I knew she couldn't stay mad at me for too long.

"Thank you for apologizing...I shouldn't have gotten all pissy with you though." All conflict between us was settled then and we had gone back to how things were before. Though sometimes it didn't feel like it, our friendship was much stronger than we gave it credit for. "We've got that war meeting today with the Council of Five." She reminded me. I groaned. Ever since the last war meeting I attended, I wasn't too keen on going to any more. "It's a little over an hour till then." She informed me. I really didn't want to go, but I'd feel bad if I bailed on her.

"Katara, I hope you don't think I'm being lazy and irresponsible, but meetings don't exactly do it for me."

"Just like books don't exactly do it for Toph?" We laughed together; the action was long needed. Humor seemed like the only medicine to heal certain situations in those times. "Don't worry about it, Kar. I understand." Katara reassured me. "I'll go and fill you in on the details after wards." That's what I loved about Katara; she was usually relaxed and seldom uptight with me. I was glad she say my side. I owed her one.

While Katara was off at the war meeting, I wandered the city again. I wanted to learn as much about the place and its people because I had plenty of time to kill. The boys wouldn't be back for another four or five days and Toph was still spending time with her mother. I told myself that I was going to the bazaar to observe the daily life and nothing more. I was never good at convincing anyone of anything. Not even myself.

When I stepped through the threshold of the haunting flat, all I could ask myself was, _why?_ There was something drawing me in, that was for sure. The apartment was exactly the same since I saw it last. Not one single detail had changed. The furniture was in the exact position it was the other night. So were the papers on the wooden desk in the living room. Jin stood in the threshold of the living room to the front room, her hands against the sides of the frame. Her hair still remained in a ponytail but her outfit was slightly different. She had a lower cut, dark green shirt on with beige shorts. "Hey fuck-buddy." she snidely remarked. My breath hitched. I knew I had not been in my right mind the night before, but it did _not _escalate to that level. There was no way that it had.

"Don't call me that." I bit back harshly, denying her claim. The tan girl shrugged off my warning and went to mess with something on her counter.

"Relax," she rolled her eyes. "I was just screwing with you...heh heh." She paused to laugh at her unintended pun. I didn't find it funny at all. Jin cocked her head to the side and gave me a look. I kept my straight face; I wanted her to know how serious I was at the moment. Her little games wouldn't be tolerated by me. She pretended to pout and drew closer. I stood my ground. "Well if you're so pissed, then why'd you come back?" The girl did have a point. I realized this too late. I didn't have a response for her either. Not a good sign.

"I-I don't-" I began to stutter, showing signs of weakness already. "I don't know." I finally admitted. This was the truth. I did not know what compelled me to return here but the force that did had succeeded. The innocent expression on Jin's face instantly morphed into that of a smirk. I knew she had been playing coy. She was a good actress.

"Just. What. I. Thought." Her lips brushed against my ear and the feeling sent chills down my spine. Sensuality was radiating in abundance off this girl and I could feel it. She held my hands in hers all of a sudden and I hadn't even noticed she had touched me. Our mouths connected once more and she had only just begun to utilize her succubus enchantments. She bit. _Hard. _It almost hurt until I remembered that I was a slave to pain and all its minions. My hands slid up the sides of her torso until I felt bare skin. An alarm went off in my head.

"No. Stop." I tore myself away from her. The command was partly directed at her but mostly to myself. Jin pulled back, looking fairly amused at the situation.

"What?" She grinned smugly at me. The girl was inside my head. I desperately needed to block her out.

"I don't know! I'm confused!" I blurted out a confession, to my surprise. "Don't touch me." She needed to keep her distance. I wanted her to stay away from me. The girl was nothing but trouble; something I definitely didn't need any more of.

Jin scoffed and then laughed in a condescending way at me. "Oh! You think this is something?" Mockery was the key element in her tone. I stood there, embarrassed and unsure of what to do next. "You think this is something, don't you? Ardency? Love?" The tan girl shook her head at me as if I was so naïve to the ways of the world. "No. I'll tell you what this is." Jin reached out to the cutting board on the counter and took in hand a large butcher's knife. My eyes widened and my heart began to race. She held the blade to her own skin and drew a line of blood down her forearm. _The hell? _What in spirits' name was she doing?

******"This is not a small cut that scabs and dries, and flakes and heals." She went on. "And I am not afraid to die; I'm not afraid to bleed and fuck, and fight. What's left, but a section of pygmy sized cuts much less than a slew of a thousand unwanted fucks."She put so much emphasis on that last word. My eyes never left her's of hazel. The knot in my stomach tightened. "Would you be my little cut? Would you be my thousand fucks? And make mark leaving space for the guilt to be liquid-to fill and spill over and under my thoughts." The red began to run down her arm. It was a low viscosity. "Love is not like anything-especially a fucking knife!"****** She threw the blade to the right and it clattered against the counter. I was utterly speechless. The metaphor had not quite sunk in yet. Jin inhaled and in a calmer voice said, "Love is not love, it is obsession. Obsession is compulsion and compulsion leads to insanity. Whatever fantasy dream you've been living in won't help you now. This is the real world, Karuna. It'll screw you over worse than I did." She left me standing in her front room, defeated, severed and broken.

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><p><strong>* Hung Gar- the Chinese martial art that earth-bending was based on.<strong>

****** **Parts of the song "I'm a Fake" by The Use. The other parts came from my head xD**

**I do NOT own the song...I just decided to use it :]**

**Thanks for reading this chapter, next one should be within this upcoming week!**

**REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED**

**~th3rdhal3~**


	11. The Crossroads Of Fate

Chp 11 The Crossroads of Fate

**Author's Note:**Hey guys, thanks for being patient again. This IS the longest chapter SO FAR because it's based on the season finale of book 2: earth. There's a lot going on in this chapter so I hope none of you get lost and don't what's happening. If that is the case, let me know and I will definitely fix that. ALSO the **point of view** switches towards the end of the chapter, just FYI (thought it was time for another one of those) So that's all from me, OH YES: don't expect another chapter for at least another week because I'm going to take a short break before transitioning into the third season. Hope you guys enjoy! Read and Review

**~th3rdhal3~**

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><p>When I met up with Katara back at the palace, I was a different person. My steps were heavy and sullen as I climbed up the staircase. It almost hurt to swallow. My arrival was on time of course-noon. I wanted to prove to her that I could be responsible. My wrists burned subtly. I couldn't understand why but that was the least of my problems that day.<p>

"Hey!" Katara was all smiles once I approached her. "So guess what?" I barely had enough time to think before Katara pressed on, not waiting for my input. "I just embarrassed myself in front of the entire Council of Five, so I think going for some tea will wash away my shame. Care to join me?" In her hand was the coupon I had been given the day before. Though I was in a terrible mood, I had to admit that it was a good idea.

"Sure." I agreed, holding back my laughter. Katara began to lead the way across the bridge and off the palace grounds. The water-bender filled me in on what the Council of Five had discussed and how she had made herself look like an idiot when no one laughed at her lame joke. Yep, she and Sokka were definitely related. She then stopped and took a good look at me.

"Your lips are...bruised." She observed. Her blue eyes were filled with concern. I did my best to shrug it off and not to draw too much attention to it. "What's this?" The water-bender studied a reddish-purple mark on my neck. The tone of her voice changed. "Is that a-"

"It's just a bruise." I quickly lied. "Must have gotten it when we fought the Dai Li." Katara bought my fib, or so I thought, and didn't bring it up again. I had a feeling though, that she didn't entirely drop it. If I knew Katara, when she had a hunch she never let it die. But I was thankful that she had left the topic alone.

The Jasmine Dragon was rather large for a teashop. It must have been the best in the city to earn such a large building space in the upper ring. It had seemed like ages since I had a cup of tea, and the thought of the herbal beverage warmed my insides. _It's been months..._I calculated in my head. Not since way back when I still lived in the Fire Nation was the last time I had drank tea. There were already a dozen or more customers enjoying themselves at tables inside the shop. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting. I couldn't wait to browse through their selection of tea. One of the men inside serving drinks kind of resembled Uncle Iroh, except he was garbed in Earth Kingdom clothes and bore a long braid at the back of his head. _What a coincidence! _I laughed internally. Halfway up the steps to the shop, my eyes were fixated on a young man in a long, dark green robe taking orders from several new customers. His hair was black and covered the tips of his ears. When he turned to head to the back of the shop, a third degree burn covered his left eye.

I did a double take. _No. No way! Zuko?_ What the hell was Zuko doing in the Earth Kingdom? And why in the flying fuck was he in a teashop of all things? The boy absolutely _hated _tea! He referred to it as 'hot-leaf-juice' for crying out loud! And the man who 'looked' like Iroh...obviously _was_ Iroh. What were the two doing here? I had a million and one questions but none could be answered then. I silently prayed to the spirits for Katara to remain oblivious. It would be impossible to enter the teashop now. Maybe I could fake a headache or some other illness. Anything that would deter us away from the Jasmine Dragon.

"Aw Momo," Katara cooed at the lemur which sat upon her shoulder. "Did you want some tea too?" She teased. It was too late. The water-bender took a step forward and then stopped in her tracks. There was no doubting she had spotted the members of the Fire Nation.

"Katara?" I pretended to be unaware. The statuesque girl then turned on her heels and bolted in the opposite direction. _Shit! _I took off after her. I knew she was going to alert the authorities. I couldn't let them arrest Zuko and Uncle. They didn't deserve to be taken into custody. They were still my family, regardless of which side I fought on now. I had to find a way to stop her.

"Katara, wait up!" I thundered up the steps of the palace after her. The joints in my knees ached from the numerous sets of stairs I had just sprinted up, but my goal could not be hindered by exhaustion or pathetic pains. Katara had flown from the teashop here with godspeed; she was on a mission! We dashed through the elegant hallways of the palace and burst through the giant doors of the throne room. Kuei's golden seat was empty, and Bosco was absent as well. Suki and her fellow warriors knelt at the base of the stairs to the thrown.

"Suki!" Katara exclaimed, trying to catch her breath. "Thank spirits you're here! The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city-I just saw Prince Zuko and his Uncle! We've got to tell the king immediately!" Suki rose to her feet but the other two stayed where they were. Something seemed off. Suki's hair wasn't black and the last time I checked, she didn't have bangs...

"Oh...don't worry." _That voice! _Adrenaline pumped through my veins. This wasn't right. Something was wrong!

"Katara!" I hissed through gritted teeth behind her, trying to get her attention. Golden defiance glowed within "Suki's" eyes. This was not Suki. She wasn't even a Kyoshi warrior.

"I'll be sure to let him know. I began to back away slowly, hoping that Katara would follow suit. The Water Tribe girl only stared ahead in awe.

"Katara!" I tried again. "We have to leave, _now!"_ Momo screeched and leaped off of Katara's shoulder. Even he knew something was wrong. The warrior girl to Azula's right sprang forward in a series of handsprings and flips. _Ty Lee! _Katara reached for her water at her side but the effort was in vain. The acrobat jabbed a pressure point on her neck before Katara could defend herself. My friend toppled over onto her back and the water pooled out from the pouch. I could have kicked myself for not being close enough to prevent it from happening. My palms tingled. Maybe if I was fast enough, I could scoop up Katara and make a run for it. I'd have to take on all three of them though. _Katara's worth it! _I had to rescue her.

From the angle Katara was now on the floor, she could see me starting towards her. The darker skinned girl was completely immobilized but she could still communicate. "No! Don't! Get out of here!" She yelled. I stopped short and began to backtrack again. What was I thinking? I couldn't help the water-bender now. If I was carrying her we'd never make it. I had to leave and return with help.

"Take the other one." Azula commanded. I glanced up quickly. Ty Lee was now cartwheeling towards me, and the other warrior-Mai, (wearing such bright colors that were _surely _against her policy) reached into her sleeves and pulled out her projectiles in a blink of an eye. I froze. _What do I do?What do I do?WHAT DO I DO?_

"Karuna, _run!" _Katara hollered from the ground. Mai's eyes widened ever so slightly and the grip on her throwing stars loosened. In all the time I had known her, she had never showed fear, awe or shock in front of anyone. But the slight changes and details were as clear as day to me. When Ty Lee was only a foot away from me, I sprinted down the green carpet and out the throne room doors. I forgot all about the pricks and pains in my feet and booked it out of the palace. My speed was so fast I thought I would fall down the palace steps and break every bone in my body. Fortunately though, my descent was not so hazardous. Ty Lee had most likely stopped chasing me a while back, but I didn't want to take any chances. If I was taken out too, things would be worse.

I still hadn't the slightest idea of what to do once I made it past the grounds and through the gates. Sokka and Aang were nowhere in Ba Sing Se and I had no way of contacting them. _Toph! _Yes, that was it! I'd go get my cousin. The two of us could figure out what to do from these. I paused for no more than a moment to catch my breath. Toph's parents' second manor wasn't too far. I could be there in ten minutes or less if I quickened my pace. I started off for the upper ring's houses of the elite.

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><p>My feet thudded against the stone road leading to the homes of the wealthy. I crossed the bridge above a crystal clear stream down below. Their mansion was 30 feet from the bridge to the left; the one with the red rooftop. I squeezed my hand into a fist and knocked on the door much harder than a person should. Being polite wasn't exactly my top priority at the time. I waited and fidgeted around on the doorstep. I waited some more. <em>This is taking too long.<em> Were they out somewhere? Maybe Toph got dragged off to the spa again. I had to see for myself. I grabbed the metal ring door handles and yanked back. To my surprise, the doors were unlocked. I stepped into the manor but what I saw didn't add up.

The whole inside of the mansion was dark. Brick covered the floor and there was no furniture of any kind. Beams and pillars lined the sides of the walls and more darkness could be found between them. This wasn't a house. "No..." I whispered. This was all wrong. Where were the Bei Fong's? In the center of the brick floor were gray markings. Kneeling down to get a closer look, I discovered that they were scratches and scrape marks. I studied them some more. The blemishes on the stone came from something made of metal. Something _big _and metallic. It all began to make sense now. Toph's letter was a trap. Her family was not here at all; they were still in Gaoling. My cousin had been taken...again.

"No, no, no, no...this is _not _happening." I held my head in my hands and sat upon the doorstep outside. Why hadn't I gone with Toph to see her "mother"? What hadn't I stayed just a few moments longer? And why did I flee back at the palace? I could have easily earth-bended Katara and myself out of there-so why did I take no action? _"You and Katara look out for each other, okay?" _Sokka's voice echoed in my ears. I was a failure. I hadn't been there for my friend and I sure as hell wasn't there when my cousin needed me. Fear began to take over me. What about the boys? Aang's message could have been a set up too. Even the intelligence report on Chameleon Bay might have been a hoax. Our antagonist separated us in order to take us all down individually. And if the mastermind happened to be Azula, well, I wasn't ready for that confrontation. "I could be the only one still standing..." I realized. It was all up to me now to save my friends. _The police! _I would go to the authorities and report what was going on, they could help me find my friends. _No...think about who you're dealing with, it's Azula we're talking about. _If the princess had been bold enough to capture my friends she would have taken control of the guards and the Dai Li already...and the Dai Li _were _the police. The Earth King was probably in trouble too. I wasn't ready for this. Hero time was baldy's thing-not mine. And what was worse, there was no one else in the city I knew who could help me. Well...there was a last resort.

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><p>I stealthily made my way through the bazaar to the middle-class area. I was constantly watching my step and my back in case I was targeted. My plan B...or was it C? Maybe D-was a far stretch, but I prayed to the spirits that it wouldn't falter. Glancing right and left beforehand, I slipped into the familiar alley between apartment buildings. Instead of the noise of the hustle and bustle of the busy streets, the alley was very silent. I couldn't tell if it was a good omen or a bad one. I quickly found the right flat and opened the back door abruptly, then shut it. Only too late did I remember that the courteous thing to do was to knock first. Two seconds later, Jin appeared from the other room. Her hair was back in two long braids. She gave me a peculiar stare.<p>

"How the hell did you get in? The door was locked." I glanced back in awe. It was? I had opened it with such ease though. Jin rolled her eyes and leaned back against the counter. "If you keep making these visits a habit, I'm gonna make you pay half the rent." She was being facetious, but all types of humor were irrelevant now. Jin's smug expression vanished once she saw my red eyes and helpless persona.

"Look, I know you don't give a shit about me and quite frankly the feeling is mutual." The tan girl's ears perked up in confusion and intrigue. "But my friends have been kidnapped by the Fire Nation and you're my last hope." Jin's hazel eyes were no wide with interest.

"Whoa whoa. Back it up a sec." So I did. I told her how I was traveling with the avatar and the gang. How the five of us had split up. How Katara had been taken hostage by Azula, and how my cousin had been taken as well. Jin soaked in all the information I gave her.

"So...you're telling me, the _Fire Nation Princess _snuck into Ba Sing Se-the Earth Kingdom _capital_, incognito and absolutely _no one _knows or suspects a _thing _except for you and this Katara chick?"

"Yeah, that's right." I answered. Jin didn't seem to believe me. Who could blame her though? It seemed like a tall tale and I hadn't any proof to show.

"How come the guards don't know what's going on? The palace is filled with them, right?" I shook my head. There had been none present when the trio attacked Katara and I in the throne room.

"She's in disguise, remember?" Jin inhaled deeply, still trying to comprehend what this meant and how it would affect the city. "As a Kyoshi Warrior, even." I added. Jin blinked.

"Damn. This chick is good." I had to admit that Jin was right. Azula was incredibly cunning and smart. She must have been planning the infiltration for weeks.

"Yeah, she's known for her brilliance and strategies. My guess is that she's already gained control over the guards and the Dai Li."

"At first I thought you were on something, but you're sober so that's clearly not the case." Jin remarked after a few minutes. "I'll help you rescue your friends because I like Ba Sing Se Fire Nation free. But if I get killed by that princess, I'm dragging you down with me." I almost laughed at her comment, but there was nothing humorous about the task at hand.

"You're not afraid?" I asked curiously.

"I work at a dojo." She informed me. "I teach *Hapkido and *Bokator...I think I'm well prepared." _She's a martial artist too?...Interesting. _Jin exited the room for no more than three minutes and returned with her hair pulled back. She had on black pants with a forest green Gi top. She slipped a pair of nunchucks into her pocket and beckoned for me to follow her out the door. "Come on, we're bustin' your friends out."

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><p>On the way back to the palace, I learned that Jin's uncle, now deceased, had once been a member of the Dai Li and she knew where the hidden entrances to the palace were. We hid behind hedges at the back of the palace, observing an agent hovering around the back wall. After making sure no one was around, he earth-bended and opening, entered and sealed the opening back up. When five minutes had passed, Jin and I hopped over the bushes and over to the outside wall of the palace.<p>

"Before we head in there and potentially face certain death," Jin began. " I want you to know I had my reasons our past two visits." I did a double take and looked at the martial artist funny. "You're a sweet person, Karuna but you're weak." _An insult! How could she say that? _"Not physically, but mentally." The tan girl explained, causing me to relax and feel less offended. "And you can't get by in this world with a weak mind...now get to bendin'!" She commanded. I took a firm stance and reopened the entrance. It led to a darkened hall lit by green light.

"Sooo...acting like a bitch and taking advantage of me was your way of trying to help?"

"Essentially, yes." Jin responded in a perky tone. "In short, don't be a doormat. I can tell you're the type of person who can be swayed easily. Be more like a rock and stand your ground...only don't actually be like a rock because then you can't move." I grumbled and shook my head. The philosophies of Hapkido were definitely going to take some getting used to.

We found a set of stairs that led to the bottom of the palace. Down there was even darker and the air was cold. It reminded me of Sokka's scientific theories: hot air rises and cool air sinks. There were two dozen cells visible, it was definitely the dungeon. I began to look into the cells through the bars at the top for my friends. Surprisingly, there were not many prisoners. I checked the first ten and so far neither Katara or Toph were in any of them. Footsteps sounded suddenly at the end of the corridor. _Oh crap! _Jin and I both pressed our backs against the metal cells in hopes that whoever it was had terrible vision. Three Dai Li agents rounded the corner and were headed this way. A few short moments later they discovered our presence and it was go time!

I sent I sent a wave through the ground at the agent furthest to the left. He jumped back with grace and sent his rock hands flying at me. I dodged one and broke the other with a hook-kick. Jin was already racing towards the other two. The agent closest to her raised a block of earth from the ground and pushed it at her. The tan girl sprung up a good three and a half feet in the air and pushed off the oncoming block with her left foot. As gravity pulled her back down, she raised her arm and prepared to strike with an elbow. The agent sidestepped and Jin made contact with the ground, crouched and knees bent. With fast hands, she drew the weapon from out of her pocket and rose. The agent threw a knuckle-punch strike and Jin trapped his arm with the nunchucks. She then kneed him in the stomach, released her hold on his arm and struck him on the neck with her weapon. She temporarily paralyzed him in a similar fashion as Ty Lee. The other agent came behind her too late. Jin dropped lower to the ground and swept the feet right out from under the Dai Li member with the scar on his cheek. He began to teeter backwards and Jin struck the nunchucks forward, cracking the man dead center of his forehead. She grabbed the other side of the weapon and struck him once more for good measure. He dropped to the floor, unconscious.

I had already taken care of my opponent; a swift hit to the temple knocked him out. Jin's fighting style was a lot more unique and artistic as mine, however. Jin flipped the nunchucks in her hand several times before returning them to her back pocket. "Chain link and steel." She grinned, seeming very pleased with herself and the outcome of the fight. There was a set of keys laying next to one of the agents she had taken out. The tan girl retrieved them and nodded her head towards the end of the corridor. "We've got to keep looking."

If we hadn't been paying close attention, we would've missed the soft cries of agony and pain that were drifting in the air in the hallway to the left. The groaning had obviously come from a prisoner. The faint sounds sent chills down my spine. Jin went ahead and found the cell in which we though the noise was coming from. She found the right key and placed it within the keyhole of the cell. The metal squeaked as she opened the door. I peered inside with her.

It was dark, but we could still make out a figure positioned on both knees. His arms were outstretched upwards, held there by metal chains. The young man slowly lifted his head. Messy, brown hair stuck out in most directions. His shirt was torn and stained, revealing cuts and bruises on his well toned chest. His lips were chapped and bleeding, a line of dried red rand down his chin. The white headband was now dirtied with blood and sweat. It was a horrible sight.

"Jin?" The older boy called out in a hoarse voice. "...Karuna?" We rushed to Raiden's side. "Thank spirits!" He rambled on. "I could kiss you both!" Jin stood up, keys in hand.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later." She laughed dryly. "Karuna, brace him." I did what she asked as she unlocked his wrists from the chain restraints. Raiden lurched forward, but I held him up. Jin's hazel eyes looked utterly heartbroken. "What happened to you?" She whispered. Raiden heaved a deep sigh before recapping what he had gone through the last couple of days.

"I challenged Long Feng in the tunnels...big mistake." The boy panted. "Threw me in here...had em beat me...my own escrimas..." Raiden trailed off and hung his head again. He looked like he had went through hell. I wish we had stopped him down under in the Dai Li's headquarters. The bounty hunter didn't deserve this. Jin helped the weak boy stand on his feet then embraced him.

"I'm so glad we found you." She breathed into the side of his neck. "C'mon, we're getting you out of here."

Jin and I each took one of Raiden's arms and draped it over our shoulders. The bounty hunter wasn't in the best condition, and even walking was a daunting task for him now. There was another staircase that we found closer to the cell Raiden had been kept in. The steps seemed to go on forever. "We still haven't found Katara or Toph." I pointed out.

"Earlier this morning, there was a girl who passed through with some agents-it sounded like Katara." Raiden informed me.

"Where is she now?" The bounty hunter sighed

"I don't know."

The staircase finally ended and the steps led us to a dark, Cherry Wood door. Jin grasped the handle and slowly pushed it open. The hinges squeaked quietly and the three of us edged out of the threshold. The door led to the left corner of the throne room. Everything was silent, and for a moment we thought the coast was clear. The three of us crept towards the green carpet leading out of the elegant room. I quickly signaled a halt, and the other two stopped moving.

Azula sat with her legs crossed on the throne steps. She was inspecting her nails and appeared rather bored. Instead of her usual Fire Nation getup, she was garbed in Earth Kingdom wear. She wore a tunic of various shades of green. A symbol of the Earth Kingdom was in the center of the tunic, outlined in yellow. Her golden hair piece was replaced by something more earthy looking. In short, she looked like an Earth Kingdom noble or royal.

She hadn't discovered our presence for which I thanks the spirits for. Leaving would be difficult now, Azula would catch us in an instant. I turned around to Jin and Raiden who were shielded behind the side of the throne steps. "We're never going to make it out with her in the room. We need a diversion." I told them. "I'm going to distract the princess so you two can make a run for it." I whispered my plan.

"What about your friends?" Jin inquired. "We still have to find them." I drew in a deep breath. That was a good question.

"They're obviously being held somewhere else. I might be able to squeeze the info out of the princess if I'm lucky. Earth is a better match for fire than strictly martial arts." I reasoned. "Thank you, Jin. I owe you, but for now I've gotta keep searching on my own. You need to help Raiden recover now. Once I distract her, you guys get the hog-monkeys out of here." Jin nodded heavily. She cocked her head to the side and gave me a crooked grin.

"Be safe, okay girly?" I shook my head and smiled as well. "I'd hate for anything to happen to that pretty face of yours."

"I will _never _understand you." I confessed to her. The tan girl was delighted at this and her grin broadened.

"No one ever will." She replied in a quite sing-song voice. I nodded one last time before turning around. Raiden grabbed my arm to stop me before I blew my cover.

"Thank you." His stormy, gray eyes were forever grateful. I responded with one last smile before finally leaving cover.

I didn't rush straight at the princess, no that would've been foolish. I figured and indirect approach would be good if I was aiming for merely a distraction. I casually strolled out from the side and walked in between pillars, finally resting my back against one. Azula still had not noticed me somehow; something must have been bothering her in order for her to be so unfocused. "Wow...nice place you got here." The Fire Nation Princess then looked up and noticed me. She jumped to her feet instantly.

"What the-how did-who are you?" The Fire Nation royal finally decided on the question. I acted as if she wasn't even there to provoke her more. "What are you doing here?" Her arms were up in defense and she began to inch towards me.

"Oh, just passing through." I replied nonchalantly. Azula's gaze burned into me from across the room. She paused briefly before pointing at me.

"You were with that water-bender wench!" The princess made the connection. _Wench? _That was a new one. I had called Katara numerous things in past arguments but 'wench' seemed a bit much. But more importantly, she had just insulted my friend. No one badmouths my friends. I took a solid stance and held my arms up as well. I was done playing games now.

"Yeah, you wanna tell me where you're keeping her?" Azula snorted and began to advance. I stood my ground.

"Pff save your breath, peasant. You'll soon be joining her!" The princess punched out blue flames that soared towards me. I twisted out of the way of the fire, missing it by a few inches.

"Uh huh. Okay, princess." I teased, rolling my eyes and using a sarcastic tone. Azula stared at me quizzically and cocked her head to the side.

"Do I...know you?" _Aw dammit! _My banter had given away too much. That response was what I used to say to he whenever she'd lost touch with reality or made an empty threat, which was very rare for her. I even said it the same way. I reacted abruptly and dashed out of the room. I could hear the princess following me with equal speed. _Good. Now the other two can escape! _

The hallways seemed endless just like in the Fire Nation palace. It almost reminded me of when Azula and I use to chase each other around as little kids. "Go away!" I shouted over my shoulder, sounding a lot like Zaida, while also lifting up patches of the floor to act as obstacles. Azula was as nimble as ever; she dodged and jumped over them as if it were second nature.

"Wait! I think I know you!" She protested. The princess picked up her speed behind me. "Would you stop for a damn second?" All of a sudden, she dived forward and knocked into my back. She took the both of us down and I hit the floor, landing on my stomach.

"Oof!" I jerked backwards and elbowed her in the side of her head. The princess let go in surprise and I scrambled to my feet. A few meters later, I took a sharp right down another hallway. I waited behind the corner with a boulder-like cut of stone I had pulled up from the floor. When Azula flew around the corner, my rock met her flames. The force of the two pushed us both back several yards. After the impact, I pulled myself back up to stand.

"I'm going to ask you again:" My voice sounded almost as threatening as I meant it. "Where are my friends?" What had she done with Katara? With Toph? I wanted answers now! Azula brushed something off of her tunic and scowled at me.

"You're really getting on my last nerves now, peasant. You can forget about your little reunion with the Water Tribe hellion because I'm going to kill you where you stand!" She rose a flaming, blue fist high into the air. I gulped. Azula followed through on about 99.9% of her threats. I was in trouble. The look on her face displayed severe agitation. _Yep, I'm screwed. _I retreated a few paces back to better ready myself for her attack. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp jab at the base of my skull-where the bottom of the head and neck meet. The strike caused me to lurch forward and I began to see spots. I whirled around to face my attacker. I sank to my knees as my vision began to blacken. The last things I saw were the somber, amber eyes, raven-black hair and the glimpse of maroon robes.

* * *

><p>The next thing I knew, I was thrown down a slanted tunnel in the ground. "AAH!" I rolled down the rocky sides of the tunnel and face-planted on the solid ground at the bottom. There were lime colored crystals structures all over the catacombs. Katara was down here...as well as Zuko, oddly enough. When I arrived, she was laying it in to him.<p>

"Why did they throw you down here?" She questioned the prince. Zuko sat cross-legged with his back to her. "So that when Aang comes you can _finally _have him in your little Fire Nation clutches? Is that it?" There was no response. The water-bender caught sight of me and helped me to my feet. "No Karuna, not you too."

"Toph's gone too..." I muttered hoarsely, struggling to find the words. Katara stared at me wide eyed and placed her head in her hands.

"Rrrr...no!" She then turned her attention back to Zuko. "Your sister is _evil!" _The prince barely glanced at us from over his shoulder.

"Tell me something I don't know." He bit back.

"You're a terrible person!" Katara snapped at him. The troubled prince ignored her antagonistic remarks. He was much more level headed than the last time I saw him. But I knew he still had quite a temper, and I didn't want that wrath to be unleashed.

"Katara, don't..." I tried to gently sedate her. Zuko had gone through enough in his life so far. He didn't need a lecture from a girl he barely knew.

"What do _you _care?" The Water Tribe girl suddenly snapped at me. "He's the Firelord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in his blood." This was starting to get out of hand. I could sense a big blow up about to occur.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Zuko defended himself. I knew he was losing his cool and I wondered how long it would be until he let his anger completely consume him.

"_I _don't know what _I'm _talking about? How dare you?"

"Katara, leave him alone." My voice was no longer steady and held a sharp edge to it. What did she expect to accomplish by breaking this boy down?

Katara didn't heed my warning. "No!" She objected before glancing at the back of Zuko's head again. "You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally!"

"It's put _everyone _through something!" I interjected. "It's put as all through hell!" I raised my voice, probably louder than she'd ever heard me argue. "Pointing fingers won't change that fact." The water-bender knelt on the rocky floor of the catacombs, weeping. I had forgotten how sensitive the darker skinned girl was to this matter. I lowered the volume of my voice, feeling a tear flow down from my left eye. "My mother was also ripped from me...I feel your pain." I sympathized with the water-bender. The Fire Nation Prince gazed over his shoulder then turned around to face us. His face was humble, and the anger had died.

"That's something we all have in common." In those moments, some unknown force brought us together. Not physically, but spiritually. We all glanced back and forth at one another, trying to understand each other better. After some time, Zuko spoke again. "Hm...water, earth and fire. All we need is your boyfriend to complete the pattern." The prince pointed out in an almost amused tone. The frustrated expression returned to Katara's face.

"Aang is _not _my boyfriend!" She set the record straight. Tact was something Zuko didn't have too much of. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't the right time for it. The golden eyed boy lowered his head.

"I...forgive me. It just seemed like...that wasn't my place to say." He clumsily muttered. Katara relaxed and shed her pride.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you." The water-bender apologized. "It's just, whenever I'd picture the face of the enemy, it was _your _face." Zuko slowly reached up to touch his scar. The boy's face was solemn and sad again.

"I see..."

"No, no. That's not what I meant." Katara took note of his self consciousness. The prince did have an emotional side to him, even though at times it seemed only anger flowed through his veins.

"It's okay." He shrugged it off. "I use to think this scar marked me-the sign of the banished prince. Cursed to chase the avatar forever . But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny even if I'll never be free of my mark."

"You _are _free." I told him. "Don't let something of the past hinder the rest of your future. It's _you. You _control your world. No one else." Zuko remained still for a few moments, letting my words swish around in his head.

"You know," he looked at me. "you sound like my uncle, only...you put it in a way I can _understand._" I approached the no longer hostile prince.

"This uncle of yours must have his reasons for being cryptic. But like I said before- you can't linger on what _has _happened rather than what _will _happen." I brushed the hair out of my eyes so he could see my scar. I was taking a big risk here; the prince might have remembered where I had gotten it. I just wanted him to know that things didn't have to be dark and terrible unless that's how you perceived the world. "It doesn't cover as much skin as yours, but now my vision is almost completely gone on this eye." Zuko gave his condolences. "I've never forgotten how I got it or who I had been back then. But I never let it determine how the rest of my life will be." The conflicted boy nodded his head and his eyes seemed to communicate that he was starting to comprehend my advice. The three of us stood close to one another in silence, and it seemed as though we represented the three nations coexisting in peace and harmony.

BOOM! A hole was blasted through the wall of the underground cavern. Crystals shattered and powdered dust rose into the air. The two who emerged from the opening were Aang and...Uncle Iroh? _Strange..._Katara ran over to the avatar and captured him into a big hug. Iroh did the same with Zuko. I stood there out of the loop. _So glad we're all happy to see each other ..yeah. _Aang glared at Zuko while embracing Katara and Zuko returned the hostile stare.

"Aang! You guys are okay!" I patted him on the back. "Toph's gone missing-have you seen her?"

"Yeah, we ran into her on the way back to the city." The Air Nomad reported. "She's with Sokka above ground. They're going to warn the king about Azula's coup." Toph was safe! I was so relieved. And Sokka was fine as well. I thanked the spirits that the whole group was okay.

"Uncle, I don't understand!" Zuko argued with Iroh off to the side. "What are you doing with the avatar?"

"Saving your butt!" The air-bender retorted. Zuko didn't appreciate the comment and he growled at Aang. His uncle stopped him from charging at the Air Nomad.

"Zuko, we need to talk." Uncle Iroh held him back. Iroh then glanced at Aang, Katara and I. "Find your friends, we'll catch up with you." I went with my friends through the hole Aang had made, leaving the fire-benders to themselves.

* * *

><p>"We need to get back to Sokka and Toph! I have a feeling they're going to need our help!" Katara exclaimed as the three of us ran through another part of the catacombs. The ceiling was higher here and the space was extremely large. It seemed to take forever to reach the other side even by running. I heard the roar of flames behind us and acted quickly. I took a horse-stance, firm and strong and raised an earth shield from the ground. I hadn't reacted fast enough. The blue fire collided with the shield, breaking it down. My hands stung, and black scorch marks soon appeared. Yards away, the Fire Nation Princess' arms were up-right two fingers extended. I could even see the smoke rising from her hand.<p>

Katara was the next one to take action. Using water from the flowing stream nearby, she hurled huge waves at Azula. An enormous barrage of fiery blue was expelled from the princess, vaporizing the water. Gray smoke hovered over them before rising higher into the ceiling. The fight had only just begun.

Azula now stood in between Aang and Katara, a good distance from them though. Her hands were pointed at the two in defense, and she eyed back and forth to make sure none had made any sudden movements. The princess was forgetting about me. I faced her straight on, meters away, with my fists held up. There was a slight twinge of fear in her eyes. Three on one. Azula was only defending herself from the other two.

FOOM! A fire ball shot through the air and landed on the stone in the middle of us. The flames glowed orange. Zuko appeared, holding his right arm up to his ears and his left out. The prince glanced back and forth between Azula and us. It occurred to me then, that the prince was struggling internally with which side he'd chose. So _that _was what his uncle needed to talk with him about. That _had _to be it. Otherwise, the boy would've made his move already. _Please Zuzu...please._ I prayed. Then Zuko made his choice. "HRR!" He punched orange flames out at Aang in rapid fire. I had never seen the boy look so determined before; not even when he was trying to perfect his form. Aang dodged all of the angry prince's attacks with great effort. The nomad fought back, pushing strong gusts of wind at the scarred boy, knocking him clear off his feet. Katara was off battling Azula and seemed to be handling things fine. Though the form of water-bending stems from grace and inner energy, Katara fought with such gusto and speed she could have passed as a fire-bender. My friends were holding their own against the royal siblings and I wasn't really needed at the time. I felt out of the loop again. It wasn't until Zuko's orange flames knocked Aang against the jagged crystals on the wall when I intervened.

I stamped my foot against the ancient stone and a large crack quickly started off in the direction of Zuko. The prince nearly lost his footing as he realized the ground beneath him was shifting. "Zuko, no!" I pleaded, hitting the boy in the chest with a weak palm-heel; the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. Zuko responded by whipping a flaming hand at me. I caught it well before it reached me and forced it back. "You're better than this!" I threw a jab which he blocked, then he punched and I countered that.

"You don't know me!" The troubled prince growled, seething with anger. I stopped all actions at his words. They sunk in under my skin and bubbled in my blood. I felt stung, as if an arrow had pierced me in the chest. I was caught off guard when Zuko swiftly pushed me out of his way. The force was nothing I hadn't felt before. In fact, the shove didn't have much behind it at all. That surprised me. Zuko then stalked off after Aang and I watched him from my position on the ground. Breathing wasn't easy in those moments. _If only, Zuko...if only that were the case. _

Katara and Aang switched opponents. I helped the water-bender fight off the banished prince while Aang bravely took on Azula. I took a moment of leave from maintaining and earth shield for Katara and I, to see how the Air Nomad was doing. Azula charged towards the young avatar, projecting herself forward with her blue flames like a rocket. Aang, now covered head to toe in the cavern crystals, headed straight for the princess with ample speed. _Baldy are you INSANE? _At the last second, Azula took a stance, letting her flames envelop the air-bender. Aang tried bracing himself but it was too late. The force of Azula's fire broke his crystal armor and sent him flying backwards. THUNK!

"Aang!" I screamed, as my friend hit the cavern wall hard, resulting in the formation of a dust cloud. I left Katara to Zuko and dashed over to the Air Nomad. "Oh my gods are you okay?" Aang picked himself back up and brushed the rubble off of him. His clothes had become tattered and dirtied.

"I've been better." The monk replied. "I'm just glad we're not fighting off a whole army or something." At that moment, dozens of Dai Li dropped into the catacombs from somewhere up above. So Azula had taken over the Dai Li like I presumed. _You've GOT to be kidding me! _At first it had been three-to-two, but now the numbers were definitely not in our favor. We needed the others, but even what chance did we have? "No...there's too many." Aang inhaled with shock. "Karuna, I need to get into the avatar state. But the thing is I have to unlock the last-" I cut the boy off. Whatever the case was, he didn't have to explain it to me at the moment.

"Do what you need to do. Katara and I will hold down the fort until you get your glow on." Aang got right down to business. He isolated himself in a small crystal tent and began the process of meditating. I hopped down from the ledge and went down to Katara's aid; I had almost forgotten we had left her to defend herself from all our enemies. The Water Tribe girl was busy fending off from the Dai Li by using the '"Water Octopus" technique. I helped her out by chucking rocks at the royal siblings and dropping stalactites from the ceiling to fall on the agents.

"What's he doing?" Katara cried, wondering where Aang could possibly be. I side-kicked and agent in the face and punched another in the ribs.

"He's going avatar!" I reassured her.

A bright light emitted from the green crystals surrounding Aang, and all paused to marvel at it. The blinding light was unleashed from the crystals along with a strong force of wind. Aang rose up out of the crystals and into the air. His eyes and arrows glowed white. He was in the avatar state. The last time I had seen the boy this way was in the desert when we confronted the sand-benders. Since Aang was now in control of it, the state looked even more majestic and awe-inspiring. The power the young avatar possessed was incredible. _Way to go Aang. Knew you could do it, buddy! _It all happened then, in a second. No one was prepared.

The crackle echoed off the walls of the catacombs. Aang's body jolted several times in shock. Quick flashes of light surrounded him. _Oh my gods! No!...What?...How?...AANG! _On the ground below, Azula's right arm was extended and her two fingers pointed upward. A small line of some rose from the tips of her skin and the sinister smirk took over her face. Golden defiance shimmered in her eyes.

My hear skipped several beats. What had just happened? How could it be? The avatar began to plummet downward, a trail of smoke forming from his back. He was falling. Aang was _falling! _Before I could do anything, Katara rode a tsunami sized wave over to where the Air Nomad was descending, taking out all the Dai Li with the water. The water-bender caught the avatar just in time, but he lay motionless in her arms. Tears streamed down the darker skinned girl's cheeks. It broke my heart to see her crying like this. It broke my heart to see Aang so still in her grasp. The more I looked on, the more I began to realize that there was a great chance the worse case scenario had occurred. The monk's frayed and rugged clothing was now scorched as it clung to his immobile body.

My pulse beat like the drums of war. The blood inside my veins felt so compressed and ready to explode. My system went into overdrive. The Fire Nation, my _home, _had come against my country. The Fire Nation, my _home, _had taken over nearly all the lives of those in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation, my _home, _had sought out to destroy my family. And they succeeded. I was done standing idly by. My people had been stepped on for years and now my friends were being punished as well. From then on, I only had scorn for the Fire Nation. There was no way that I wouldn't let them rue this very moment.

"Go!" I barked at Katara. The water-bender looked up at me with puffy eyes then carefully rose to her feet with Aang still in her arms, and headed towards the waterfall. I planted my feet into the stone below me. With the stabled focus I had left, I raised enormous stone slabs of earth to enclose them there; I could feel the slight strain in my shoulders as I did so. The large earth walls I created blocked off any access to them. _Be safe...please._

"Surrender now and you might still draw breath! Your precious avatar is finished." The princess demanded. "Refuse and suffer the consequences." It sounded like a challenge. Turning around, I faced the royal siblings, particularly the cruel girl. Because of them, everything was now wrong. Because of _them_ everything was now wrong. Because of _them_ my friend was in peril. Because of_ them_ there was no hope left for the world. The anger, the hate and the pain welled up inside me was enough to substitute an army. The rage burned hotter than any fire I'd ever known, and I soon thought I had become the flames themselves. I inhaled deeply and exhaled, seeing smoke come out of my nostrils-like a dragon. I paused everything that ran through my mind for a brief moment. The utter silence was frightening as well as deafening. Tranquility cleansed my veins for a split second before pure adrenaline took over. I punched the stone beneath me, shattering the very Earth itself.

* * *

><p><strong>ZUKO'S POV<strong>

I couldn't believe that the two of us had ended it...together. All it had taken to defeat the avatar was lightening. Though I resented Azula as much as she resented me, I had to admit that her attack was genius. There was no way I could have pulled it off; I couldn't even perform the lightening technique correctly. I remembered my uncle had once told me that when an avatar was in his state that was the time he was most vulnerable. Azula must have known that as well. But then again, what didn't Azula know?

My sister and I approached the earth-bender, ready to deliver the same fate to her as the avatar. That girl had tried to get inside my head. Who was she to tell me what to do? It was _she _who had told me to chose for _myself_ what path I would take. Before we could advance any closer, she held her fist to her open palm with closed eyes. When she opened them, her sockets were white. Two avatars?..._That's-no...that's impossible? _The girl bared fangs and pointed ears poked out from behind her long, dark hair. Her features were now dragon-like. A white mist surrounded her body and the energy seemed to follow with her every movement. _What is she? "_Your worst nightmare" Her face seemed to say. The girl pounded her fist into the ground with such impact I felt the entire cavern shake. The stone cracked and split, creating a divergent boundary-like an earthquake. The ground below Azula and I shifted out and upward violently. My sister didn't even move an inch. I couldn't believe she hadn't already foreseen it. Her eyes were fixed on the earth-bender and they were wide with...fear. This disturbed me the most. Azula was _afraid._

"Azula!" I hollered at her, trying to break her of the trance she was in. I acted quickly, hurling myself at my sister and saving us both from the damage of the rippling floor. We both hit the ground hard, but it was okay. My sister didn't deserve to get crushed. And though she would never admit it, it was probably one of the nicest things I'd ever done for her. Azula hadn't objected to my sudden act of heroism and I figured that was an abnormal thing. The prodigy was still speechless as she eyed the Earth Kingdom girl in awe. What was her deal? She had taken down the avatar, why would this girl be any different? For spirits' sake, she could frigging shoot _lightening! _How come she hadn't done so already? There were so many questions I wanted to scream at my sister then, but for obvious reasons I didn't. If she wasn't going to fight, then _I _was.

"Hyahh!" I punched out fireballs at the girl. She deflected the first three with open-handed blocks but absorbed the fourth into her core. I looked on in wonder, completely dropping my guard. A bad decision. The fire was directed back at me, but the force was five times greater. White flames engulfed me and I had not time to block. I hit the stone ground several times until I was able to bounce back up onto my feet in a crouched position. The fall had hurt much more than I had anticipated. Just as I stood, the girl was instantly in front of me. I threw a ridge-hand at her neck as I knew how; I aimed for the vitals and wasted no time. The next thing I felt was her heel driving into my stomach. I crashed into some crystal structures, back first. My body ached all over. I could barely bring myself to roll over. There was a stinging sensation all over my skin. The girl, no, the mutant-No! The monster, targeted my sister next. And I lay helplessly on a bed of shattered crystals.

Azula raised a shaky hand and extended two fingers outward. She gathered the chi from her center and whipped the crackling energy towards the mutant earth-bender. A hand clamped down on my sister's despite the lightening and the girl from the Earth Kingdom struck her with an open palm to the chest. Azula was thrown back just like I had been and she hit the ground hard as well. I winced. Though it was payback for all the times she had hurt me as kids, I felt for her then. My sister, my _perfect _sister was the underdog in this fight. Worrying for her fate was a personal first for me. What was worse, there was nothing I could do for her then.

The earth-bender grabbed Azula by the front of her tunic and slammed her into the cavern wall. A life sized dent was made in the stone. The girl held my sister high against the stone, white eyes staring right into her soul-if she even had one was beyond me. "**GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU" **The voice was nothing like when she had spoken to me earlier. Instead of feminine and pleasant, it was deep and distorted. The very sound of it made my hair stand on end. My sister looked completely paralyzed; I had never seen her this way before. The girl grew impatient at Azula's lack of response and pressed her into the wall harder. She drew back her other arm, ready to carry out the action.

"No!" I cried out in a raspy voice. She was going to kill my sister. My blood felt cold and my heart was in my throat. Azula was my sister! Even if she didn't act like it. I couldn't lose anyone else in my family. I couldn't!

"STOP!" A familiar voice cried out. On the other side of the catacombs, my uncle bounded down from the cavern ledges towards us. The mutant earth-bender turned her head in the direction of where his voice came from. My uncle held his arms up and approached her ever so slowly. "Don't do this, Sankari." The air seemed to vanish from my lungs. I did a double-take. My uncle had just said...he had just called her 'Sankari'. My Kari? The sweet little girl who had been the closest thing I had to a sister? No...she had drowned. It was before the Winter Solstice-half a year ago. I would never forget the grief I felt in my heart upon hearing the news. I had silently cried that night in my cabin because I had told her a lie. _"You'll see me again. I promise Sankari, I will come back." _She was alive and she was here.

Sankari kept her hold on Azula. _She-...how...why? Fighting with the avatar? _I simply didn't understand. "You made a promise to me once." Uncle continued his attempt to sedate her. "To use your gifts wisely-not to abuse them!" Sankari bared her fangs at him and forced a puff of air out through her nose. She seemed not to recognized him. That, or she didn't care. "You _are_ the master of your own fate, but this is not the way." Sankari's knuckles pressed into Azula's chest bone. "This is not who you are nor what your father would want you to become." Something in Sankari's intimidating face softened. The mention of her deceased father curbed her rage but only slightly. "I _know _this is not who you are. Letting hate and anger drive your path will take you down a terrible road, Sankari. It will only be your downfall in the end. Never let them consume you." Sankari turned away from my uncle and growled at my sister who was still held against the stone. "You're above this, Sankari." Uncle kept trying to calm her. "You've always been. What you need to do is prove this to yourself now and let her go." Another puff of air was released from Sankari's nostrils as her gaze burned holes into my sister. Her grip tightened subtly. Uncle's tone hardened. "Let. Her. _Go._"

Sankari showed her fangs and growled lowly. She then dropped Azula who fell forward onto the ground. My sister clenched her teeth in agony and gripped at a spot just under her neck. I soon found out why. Her collarbone was broken. Sankari stormed off past us and stood in front of Uncle. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. Then, the white left her eyes and she was the same again. She sank to her knees. Uncle put his hands on her shoulders and knelt down to her level. "You need to leave with your friends. Hurry!" Sankari nodded and rose to her feet in a flash. She sprinted through the cavern and into a tunnel leading above ground. Within a few seconds, she was gone.

I could stand now. The pain hadn't fully left yet but it was manageable. I limped over to Azula who was kneeling on the ground, hand by her shoulder. "Here..." I offered my hand out to aid her. As the older brother it was my obligation to assist her when she needed it.

"Don't touch me!" She spat and I instinctively recoiled. My sister was back to being her bitchy old self. _Juuuust great. _I had a feeling her nicer and needier attitude earlier would vanquish. Azula was never capable of being nice. She did have an excuse though, she was wounded worse than I was.

"That was Sankari...Kari." I marveled, still not quite over the fact that it had actually been her; alive and there before us.

"I _know_, Zuko. I'm not and idiot." Azula snapped at me though I wasn't even talking to her. Something in her voice was different. It lacked the same evenness and confidence than it normally possessed. I wondered why that was. I left her alone soon after and turned to my only relative who wouldn't bite my head off over nothing.

"Uncle, what..._was _that?" The old man sighed and stared up at the waterfall for some time before finally answering me.

"The White Dragon, my nephew." He informed me. "It has found a new host."

Azula had the Dai Li take Uncle captive, reason being for treason. I didn't stop her. And I regretted not preventing it much later. I was thinking of only myself at the time and what the fall of the avatar would mean for me. I would be returned home, excepted and loved by my father again. I had wanted this for so long. My destiny was being fulfilled. But on a side note, I couldn't help but of think of my previous conversation with Sankari. _"You don't know me!" _I had shouted at her. My best friend. My _real _sister. I knew the truth well. Sankari _did _know me, better than most even. The real question was did I know _her? _And even more importantly, did I know _myself?_

* * *

><p><strong>* <em>Hapkido<em>- a dynamic and eclectic Korean martial art. Style includes various fighting methods such as pressure points, joint locks, throws and the use of traditional weapons. (Makes sense how Jin knows pressure point strikes):**

**[youtube]/watch?v=GOCgfuajpJs (for a visual)**

*** _Bokato_r- a Cambodian style of martial arts that uses close hand-to-hand combat and weapons. (Also makes sense how Jin knows how to use nunchaku or nunchucks):**

**[youtube]/watch?v=OYXGUSqWObg (for a visual)**


	12. Changing Courses

Sorry SORRY! I've kept you guys waiting a while! Here's the first chapter of the second half of this fanfic. The reason it took so long was because I wanted it to be a longer chapter and not a short crappy thing lol! **Fengxian-**THANK YOU for the suggestions! I actually have those in between stories in an A: TLA graphic novel called "The Lost Adventures" and I'll probably incorporate at least one as I go on with this fic. So thanks! Can't believe I didn't think of that...haha cross dressing xD well anywho, I'll shut up now so enjoy!  
><strong> ~th3rdhal3~ <strong>

* * *

><p>That night had been a blur. My skin burned as I listened to the sounds of utter chaos. The city was being overthrown at that very moment; the Dai Li had already began their work and the riots soon followed. I rant to Appa over on the palace courtyard where the others were ready to escape. I felt my knees weaken as I drew nearer and my knees started to buckle. Everything inside me seemed to shut down. I heard the cries of the water-bender as I hit my head on the stone.<p>

"Is she still out?"

"Yes, last time I checked."

"I'm worried, Katara. They've both been unconscious since we left."

"I know, it's been troubling me too. I'm gonna see if I can wake her at least."

My eyes fluttered open sleepily. I rolled over onto my side. I lay on a blanket of blue, white and purple. I was inside a tent. The flap opened, bringing in light. I felt a familiar touch gently nudge me. I glanced up and Katara's deep blue eyes greeted mine. "Thank spirits you're okay!" She pulled me up into a tight embrace. The girl's warmth transferred into me.

"How long...was out for?" I mumbled only half coherently.

"Since we left Ba Sing Se. You've been knocked out for 72 hours." I had been asleep for three days. My whole body felt drained. It felt like I hadn't even slept a wink. Images of lightning played in my eyes for a brief moment.

"Where's Aang?" I suddenly inquired. Katara hesitated slightly. I began to panic and rise to to my feet but the water-bender put a stop to my movements.

"He's alive." She informed me, setting me back down to rest. I felt a huge relief overcome me. "He's just still...asleep. Like you were."

I had soon learned that we had escaped to Chameleon Bay. It was Sokka's idea; it would be a safe haven for us and we be around Water Tribe warriors. We lived along the shore in tents, trying to decide what our next move would be. We desperately waited for Aang to wake so we could make decisions as a full team. A week had gone by and the avatar had still yet to awaken. I worried gravely for him. I had heard of conditions such as this. The term often used was 'sleeping awake.' A person was alive and breathing, but their body was asleep and dead to the world. The condition could last for days, months or even years. Aang couldn't stay this way. So many counted on him. We couldn't lose him. He _had _to wake.

I met Katara's father when he and some of his men returned from a small mission. Hakoda was strong-willed and inspiring. The leader provided a visual for how Sokka would look like when he was older; a full head of hair, beard and 'hair loopies' too. The man looked every inch a warrior. I shook his rough hand once Katara introduced us. "Glad you're up and about now." He must have still been at the bay when we first arrived. "Katara's told me a lot about you."

"Ohh? She has?" I replied in a shy voice. No one ever really talked about me when I wasn't present, that I knew about, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. Hakoda seemed to be reading my emotions.

"Don't worry kiddo," He patted my back. "all good things." I smiled weakly at this. The Water Tribe leader then addressed Katara. "Go grab Toph and your brother." I assumed he had already met my cousin. "I want you all to be present when I go over the plan for our next step." Katara obediently retreated and a few minutes later returned with Sokka and Toph. The four of us gathered around the Water Tribe leader, all ears. "Our men have taken control of a Fire Nation ship that was headed in this general direction. The crew was rather small so we took them out and left them on the other side of the bay-about 8 miles West of here." Hakoda told us. "We anchored the ship behind the rocks over there," He pointed behind himself. "That way, it stays hidden until we're ready to use it."

"Dad-that's brilliant!" Sokka exclaimed. "Now we can enter the Fire Nation incognito!" The Water Tribe warrior chuckled at his son's enthusiasm.

"That was what I had in mind. The avatar still needs to learn fire-bending, am I correct?" We nodded.

"Fire is the last element Aang needs to master." Katara further explained. Toph say an issue with this new plan.

"Who's going to teach Twinkle-toes fire-bending in the Fire Nation? They're the ones who _started _the war-there's no way in heck they'll help end it." My cousin had a point. Finding a teacher for our Air Nomad friend would be a difficult task. Where would we even start? _You could teach Aang. _My conscience nagged at me. _No. _I stared at the ground. _I'm never going to fire-bend again. _

"I can guarantee it won't be easy, Toph." Hakoda provided and answer. "But every nation has those who don't completely support their motherland." I felt as if that statement was directed at me but the siblings' father couldn't possibly know of my secret. And though Hakoda was right, I wondered if there _would_ be anyone in the Fire Nation who would help us.

"But Dad," Sokka suddenly thought of something. "What about the plans for the invasion?" The warrior boy was worried because of the circumstances now.

"I was just about to touch on that." The Water Tribe leader explained. "Now that Ba Sing Se has been overthrown and the king is with us, he has no way of ordering his armies to take action. Right now, their goal is to protect their city for as long as they can. This means we have to adjust your original strategy, Sokka." His son nodded. "The fleet and I have agreed to be part of the attack. It will be a much smaller group, even if we request the help of friends and others." I could tell Sokka was bummed that his plan had been altered, but he was grateful that his father wanted to be a part of it. The four of us agreed to the new idea. "We can depart as soon as you kids are ready." Hakoda went on. Sokka looked at us, trying to gain feedback. After receiving looks of approval, the decision was then made.

"Aang can rest while we're at sea. We're good to go."

* * *

><p>For the first time eve, my mind was completely blank. Not one single thought broke through my stream of empty consciousness. So this was what it felt like. The nada, the nothing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Only the sounds of breathing could be heard. I felt myself slipping, suddenly. Farther and farther down into my subconsciousness. Farther and farther into the unknown. Then, a voice broke the deafening silence.<p>

"Sankari!" It echoed and sounded as if I was underwater. The last syllable of my name lingered in my ears for a moment before I was awakened.

"Karuna!" I sat up fast and my senses were no longer dull. My mind was active again, taking in my surroundings. Katara's deep, blue eyes stared into mine of gray. I took a deep breathe and blinked. We were in the Fire Nation ship. That's right. The Water Tribe men had taken one over. The light in the room was dim but bearable. The walls were of steel and had an industrialized look to them. I had taken a nap in mu cabin but it didn't even feel as if I had been sleeping.

"Kar, what's going on?" The water-bender asked. "I called your name like ten times!" She had? How come I had only head it the one time? I pushed my bangs back and sighed.

"Sorry Katara." I apologized lazily, suddenly feeling exhaustion hit me. The darker skinned girl grasped my hands which I hadn't been expecting.

"I thought you were fading again." Her voice was suddenly overflowing with worry and concern. "Don't do that!" I swore she was on the verge of tears. I was dumbfounded, really. I had barely done anything yet it had triggered this emotion from her.

"Katara! I'm sorry-I...I'm sorry okay?" The water-bender said nothing, then grabbed hold of me and buried her face into my shoulder. Instinctively, my arms rested against her back and I held her tight. Something else must have been bothering her for her to go off on me like that. I had a feeling I knew what might be the cause. "He's not awake yet, is he?" I asked after a few silent moments of embracing. She shook her head against my chest. Fourteen more days later, the young avatar was still a prisoner of sleep. It occurred to me then that Aang might never break out of his trance. What would happen then? The war would rage on and the other nations would be wiped out. What would become of us then? I pushed the negative visualizations out of my mind. _No. Don't think like that. _As hopeless as it seemed, I couldn't be pessimistic now. We had to keep on fighting, otherwise we'd be defeated for sure. Hope must be kept alive, starting with the water-bender.

"Hey," I gently nudged her. "Look at me." Katara raised her head to gaze upon me. I hated seeing her this way. The sadness displayed on her face was simply heartbreaking. I took my calloused fingers and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "The night is always darkest before the dawn breaks forth. We're at that point now, Katara," I stared into her Royal Blue eyes. "Where we reach the eye of the storm. It can only get better from here on out." I was not entirely sure whether or not it was true, but I believed that things would eventually get back on track.

The darker skinned girl sniffled a bit but nodded. My words seemed to comfort her. I raised her chin slightly with my index finger. "It's gonna be okay." I reassured Katara. "It's _gonna _be okay." I had to believe this. For Katara's sake and everyone else as well. She nodded again and inhaled deeply. Somehow, the Water Tribe girl looked even more beautiful in sorrow. But it hurt me to see her in a melancholy state. I brought her face closer to mine and in those few seconds, I don't recall breathing. She studied me with curious eyes. It appeared as if she were waiting for me to make the next move. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead; Li Ann use to do the same for me whenever I had endured pain or sadness of any sort. Her skin was warm and soothing to the touch, which was a little surprising for a water-bender. "I'm going to see him now." I told her, once I sat back in my original position. Katara hesitated for a moment, looking very statuesque. Then, she quickly regained her composure.

"Oh, yeah...sure-of course." She suddenly babbled. I stared at her peculiarly as I got up from my bed. The water-bender seemed a little confused or flustered. But the look on her face almost showed...disappointment? I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"You gonna be alright?" I asked her. Katara slid off my bed and followed me out of my cabin.

"I'll be fine." She replied. "You go check on him. I told Toph and Sokka I'd be back up with them soon." She smiled weakly at me before heading off in the opposite direction in the ship's corridors.

The cabin Aang was resting in was just around the corner from mine. When I entered, the boy was still in his slumber and was laying on his back. I couldn't help but wonder if the position was bad for his injury. Though Katara had healed him with her spirit water, Azula's attack left a huge gash on the avatar's spine. The wound was most likely going to remain as a permanent scar. Aang's hair had started to grow back in the time he had been out cold. It was short, black and spiky. This was the first time any of us had seen with hair, since he always made sure to shave his head when he was conscious.

I knelt down next to his bed and watched his chest rise and fall. There was a certain feeling of tranquility in his room that seemed to outweigh the worry and discord. I had visited him daily those two weeks we had begun our sea voyage, waiting for him to slowly stir and rise. And all the previous times, Aang had remained still and dormant. I wasn't exactly sure why I thought this time would be any different, but when I entered his room, I felt hopeful. "Hey Aang, it's me." I whispered to him. Though he never responded, I talked to him during all my visits. "Come on buddy, you gotta wake up." I pleaded with his unconscious body. "Things are kind of grim right now, and we need you to lead us to victory again." The boy's breathing sounded in response.

I thought about all the funny moments the two of us shared and the constant rough-housing that we partook in. I thought about how sweet and genuine the boy was; his compassion was my admiration. I also thought about how I couldn't stop Azula from hurting him. The princess was crafty, and none of us were ready. I underestimated her that time. It wouldn't happen again.

I held the avatar's arm and prayed to the spirits that he would break from his cursed slumber. "Please Aang, we need you. And not just because you're the avatar...you're our friend too." My eyes closed and a single tear rolled down my left cheek. Aang's skin began to feel warmer than normal. When I opened my eyes, his arrows were glowing! I stepped back in awe. The light from Aang stretched across the room and brightened the dark corners. The glow eventually dimmed then faded. Aang's eyelids began to flutter. Moments later, his gray eyes were finally open. He stared sleepily at the ceiling for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. The avatar rubbed his eyes then looked at me. The blank expression on his face soon turned into a small smile.

"Karuna." He said, sounding relieved. A feeling of joy came over me. My air-bender friend was conscious at last. The others would be absolutely thrilled. Aang's eyes traveled over to the tapestry on the wall behind me. The Fire Nation emblem was boldly displayed in the center. The boy backed up into the headboard, eyes wide open at this point. That was right. He didn't know.

"What's going on? Where are we?" The nervous avatar asked me.

"Aang, it's okay-calm down. Everything's fine." I tried to sedate him. " _We've _got control of this ship/ Everyone else is up on deck I think." I offered my arm out to him. "C'mon, let's go see." He reluctantly slid off his cot and approached me. I could read the uncertainty in his eyes. "I promise, Aang. Nothing's wrong." The Air Nomad grabbed onto me. The boy was still very weak so he leaned against me in order to keep balance. Aang's torso was all bandaged up and I knew he was still a certain amount of pain. I aided him out of his room and together we inched through the ships corridors. Moving up deck was the hardest because the stairs worsened Aang's soreness. Just how I predicted, almost everyone was on deck.

Katara was the first to spot us, followed by Toph and Sokka. "Aang! We're so glad you're awake!" The water-bender gushed as the five of us partook in a group hug.

"Good to have you back, Twinkles." Toph grinned from ear to ear. Aang was still a little disoriented, but he appreciated our affectionate gestures. Aang started to scratch the back of his head, then froze halfway through his actions.

"I have hair?" The Air Nomad started to freak out. "What else did I miss, guys?" I laughed with the others and Sokka took the liberty of explaining what happened after the fall of Ba Sing Se. Soon after hearing the recap, we introduced Aang to Hakoda and the rest of the Water Tribe warriors. "So what do we do now?" Aang asked.

"We travel through the Fire Nation in disguise." Sokka provided an answer as he threw his red cape behind him. "The invasion will be an even bigger success now because everyone thinks you're dead!" I could tell right off the bat that Aang wasn't liking the idea of being "dead." "That's our secret weapon!" The Water Tribe boy went on. Aang sighed and stared at the deck of the ship. Eventually he gave in and nodded his head.

"Okay, let's do this."

* * *

><p>"I think I see a cave below."<p>

"_Shh! _Keep _quiet!"_

We landed Appa on rocky terrain on the edge of the Fire Nation homeland. Aang and Katara stopped their bending and our cloud coverage evaporated. It was a great disguise and the best way we could fly around on Appa without being seen.

Sokka hopped off the Sky Bison, in full Fire Nation militia gear, and then backed up against a wall of rock. "Great job with the cloud camo, but next time let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that knows how to keep its mouth shut." The paranoid boy scanned the area at least a dozen times before deeming to safe for us. Aang, Katara, Toph and I slid down Appa's side to join him.

"Yet he's the one who's been flapping his jaws the whole time." I rolled my eyes. The other three giggled while Sokka glared at me. We ushered Appa into the cave we spotted from the air. It wouldn't be as comfortable as being on the ship, but I wasn't one to complain. I'd dealt with both luxury and peasant housing before.

"This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins." Sokka announced. "Hiding in cave, after cave, after cave...after cave..." He trailed off as he hung his head. Toph and I couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic he was being.

"You've gotten soft, Sokka." I teased, elbowing him in the gut. "I use to sleep under the stars every night." My cousin vouched for me; a good portion of my time in Gaoling I was without a home.

"Yeah, that's how we Earth Kingdom girls roll!" Toph chuckled. "You worried about getting a little dirt in your undies, ponytail?" Sokka scowled at the two of us, but I was sure he was laughing on the inside.

"We don't have to become cave people, Sokka." Katara giggled. "We just need some different outfits so we can blend in. It'll give us the freedom to move around as we please while still incognito." Aang chimed in with his two cents.

"I think it'd be much better blending in than hiding out. Let's get some new clothes!"

We left Appa and Momo in the cave and ventured off to find some Fire Nation wear. There was a house not too far from where we had initially landed, and whoever lived there had their laundry hung up outside. The five of us waited until the coast was clear. "I feel bad," Aang admitted, having second thoughts to the idea. "These are somebody else's clothes."

"I call the silk robe!" Katara made a dash for the lines, obviously not feeling the same guilt as Aang. The avatar shrugged and moments later, pulled something off the lines as well. Toph quickly snatched at some articles of clothing while Sokka and I took our sweet time. I wasn't normally picky about outfits, but I wanted to make certain that I looked like I belonged in the nation. I scanned the rows of clothes hanging up for something that would suit me. I found a uniform I liked and called dibs on it. Then, I sped off the property followed by Sokka. It had been ages since I had taken something that wasn't mine and it brought me back to better days of my youth. The things Mai and I use to get ourselves into; the memories would forever stick with me.

We changed outfits behind the cover of the hot springs and waterfall. "We look good." Toph grinned as adjusted her clothing which looked like the Fire Nation equivalent to her old tunic. She then ripped out the bottom of her shoes so that she could still feel the ground.

"Um Toph?" Sokka stared at her skeptically. Instead of a wolf-tail, his hair was pulled up in the fashion of the Fire Nation boys. "How on earth would you know?" My cousin walked a few paces with her new "shoes" to see how they felt.

"Oh, I just feel it." The blind girl smiled. I pulled my boots on snugly and smoothed out the vest attached to my long sleeve shirt.

"I agree with Toph. We look sharp." I looked at Aang who had a very similar pair or pants on as me and even his boots looked similar. Just then, he and I both noticed something. The two of us were wearing the same type of uniform.

"We're identical!" We cheered in sync

"Sweet!"

"I'll say!"

"I'm still taller!" I teased, ruffling up his short hair. Aang laughed at this and slipped out of my grasp. A short while later, Katara came out from behind the rocks.

"How do I look?" She humbly asked. Aang and I paused our rough-housing to gaze upon her, and spirits was it a sight. The water-bender wore a long, red skirt and a maroon top which revealed some skin. The shirt was sleeveless, exposing her arms and her hair was half up and half down. I never realized how long Katara's hair was because it was usually kept in a braid. I don't think I blinked once in all the time I stared at the girl. I wanted to say something; to compliment her-let her know what I thought. My tongue only tripped over words and all that came out was, "Uhh.." Aang was eying the dark skinned beauty as well and I could see a faint tone of blush form on his cheeks.

"You look nice Katara, but you probably shouldn't wear your mother's necklace out here." The water-bender lowered her head and frowned.

"Oh. Right. I guess it's easy to tell it's from the Water Tribe." She agreed, reluctantly taking off the jewelery. I knew how much the necklace meant to her and not being able to wear it must have been disappointing.

"I'll hold onto it for you." I offered. Katara thanked me and handed me the necklace. I stored it in one of my uniform pockets. Toph was starting to get bored and irritable; two things we wanted to steer clear of.

"Let's get movin'!" She proposed.

* * *

><p>The gang and I headed into town after finding better apparel. Katara acquired a new necklace to match her outfit and Toph bought a Fire Nation headband to replace her Earth Kingdom one. Sokka obtained a red head piece for his Fire Nation style ponytail. After buying new accessories from the local merchants, the group looked perfect now-like real Fire Nation citizens.<p>

I wasn't certain if I'd be recognized by anyone or not, so I pulled my hair into a ponytail; I almost always wore it down. I had never spent a great deal of time in the areas where the commoners and average subjects lived because I was raised in the nobility class which was right outside of the palace. Still, I was once a well known figure in this land and I didn't want to take any chances. I was nervous about being back in the Fire Nation. In a way, it felt good to be back in the place I had called my home, but I also got the feeling that nothing good would come out of my return.

Aang and I sat outside a restaurant while the other three got some lunch. It was a meat place and since the avatar was a vegetarian, he obviously wasn't going to find anything to eat in there. I decided to wait with him to keep him company. And to everyone's surprise, I was cutting back on my meat intake. A long time ago, Azula had told me she was a vegan and claimed that particular diet was better for the mind and body. I often wondered if it were true and finally decided it might be worth a shot to see what the results would be like. I wouldn't go as far as the princess had, but I could start but not being so dependent on meat as a source of food. When I told the others I wasn't going to partake in all the goodness that is meat, Sokka gave me a look as if I betrayed him. I would have felt guilty too, if I hadn't been laughing so hard.

Plenty of people passed ups in town, but we were able to keep calm and collected. I had been a citizen for so long that I didn't have to pretend. Aang told me he use to visit an old friend out in the Fire Nation, and was convinced he knew all the hip slang and lingo. Some of the townsfolk gave us odd glances and at first I couldn't figure out why. I didn't think we stood out at all. "We've just got to keep our cool." I whispered to Aang.

"You mean, stay _flammin'._" He corrected. I chuckled at this. I tried to think back to the last time I had heard anyone use that phrase. Things were going fine until a trio approached us. I could tell from their uniforms that they were the town sentry. I felt my stomach lurch and wondered what beef they had with us.

"It's over, we've caught you." The oldest man declared. He placed his hands on his hips and towered over Aang and I. My first thought was that they discovered Aang was the avatar. This was not good. _But how? _I thought. _His headband is completely covering his arrow!_ "Next time you play hooky, leave the uniforms at home, kids." _Huh? _What did he mean by that? _Play h- oh! Aang and I took someone's school uniforms! _The air-bender and I exchanged nervous yet relieved glances before getting dragged off by the guards.

They brought us to a school on the edge of town up on a plateau. I had never been to a traditional school before because my father had self taught me, but Roje and Sameer had once informed me that the education system of the Fire Nation had changed for the worst. The sentry shoved us into a class room where a middle aged woman stood up front with a pointer. She tore her eyes away from her students to gaze upon Aang and me.

"Oh. Are these new minds ready for molding?" The instructor asked the guards. Not even three minutes in the establishment and I was already getting a bad vibe. The woman sentry nodded behind us, but then Aang chimed in with his unnecessary optimism.

"Yep! Let the molding begin!" He knocked on his noggin with his knuckles. The teacher did not seem amused. _Dammit, Aang! Can't you tell she's a hard ass? _I shot him a look but I wasn't sure if he caught my drift. The instructor's gaze burned into the avatar.

"You're not from the Fire Nation." The woman accused. My palms grew sweaty. _Great. We've been busted!_ She drew closer to study Aang. "Clearly you're from the colonies." Relief flooded through me. Aang played along and the guards left, taking with them the feeling of anxiety. "Your etiquette is terrible. In the homeland, we _bow_ to our elders, like so." The instructor demonstrated the gesture to Aang but I already knew what to do. I placed the heel of my open palm against my fist and bowed without a second thought. It took Aang a couple of tries to get the hand positions right. "Hm, your friend seems to surpass you in terms of protocol." The woman remarked, eying me.

"I'm from the homeland ma'am." I informed her, which wasn't a complete lie. She gave me a nod of approval before going back to ridicule Aang.

"We don't wear head coverings in doors!" _Here we go again! _If she made him remove his headband, he would get caught this time fore sure. Again, Aang somehow came up with something to get us out of this jam.

"Oh, uh. I have a scar and I don't like people seeing it because it's embarrassing." He even pulled off the sheepish look perfectly. The teacher wasn't thrilled but she allowed him to keep on the covering. Luck was on our side that day. The spirits must have favored us.

"Very well," The woman didn't further badger him about the headband. "What are your names?" Aang thought for a split second.

"I'm Kuzon." He beamed in front of the class, using the name of his friend he had told me about earlier.

"Yumi." I replied, using the first name that came to mind. Just then, my hair tie snapped and my long dark brown locks let down. _Shit! _I cursed in my head. I looked different when my hair was up an I was afraid someone would figure out who I was now. The woman blinked and then took a step towards me. Her eyes never left mine.

"My pupil, have you ever been told that you are the spitting image of-"

"Avatar Sango?" I guessed, purposely cutting her off. I'd probably pay for it later, but there was no telling what the teacher was going to say next. To my surprise, the woman didn't reprimand me. Instead, she studied me again.

"Why...yes." She seemed to agree, giving me another once over. I could tell that wasn't initially who the woman was going to compare me to based on her response. The instructor gave me a peculiar glance. She most likely wondered about my knowledge on this type of history. I remembered the books in which my father taught me out of. In my head I could clearly visualize the painting of Avatar Sango-clad in green and and russet. She had long, hair which looked a lot like mine, and stone colored eyes. The golden symbol of the Earth Kingdom was proudly shown on her ceremonial tunic.

"Avatar Sango lived 800 years ago in the period of the Old Age." The teacher explained to the class which looked on eagerly. "She was the avatar preceding Avatar Jian Gao of the Fire Nation." The students nodded their heads in comprehension. " Avatar Sango had the shortest life span of any avatar. During her time as avatar, she worked to settle disputes between rivaling kingdoms and nations. After she passed on, Avatar Jian Gao finished what she started by separating the nations into what they are today." The woman turned to me next. "We don't normally discuss Earth Kingdom history seeing as how this is a _Fire _Nation history class." I bit my lip and stared at the ground for a short moment.

"Sorry ma'am." I apologized. "My father use to teach me all types of history."

"However," The teacher continued. " I see no harm in being exposed to different cultures." I heaved a sigh of relief. "The past has many things to offer, so the same mistakes won't be made in the future...now, take a seat, both of you. I wish to resume my class." Aang and I did as she told us to and found two empty desks. They weren't right next to each other but they were diagonal. As the woman continued on with the lesson for the day, I thanked the spirits over and over for not being caught.

Aang and I were both relieved when the bell rang to dismiss us for the day. School wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I still didn't like to be stuck in a setting where everyone looks the same. The Air Nomad and I exited the school and walked through the courtyard towards the path leading down the plateau. That's when I noticed something moving underneath his vest. When we were away from the other kids, Aang reached in and told a familiar white creature to be quiet. "You had him the entire time?" I questioned the avatar. " Pretty sneaky Aang." I laughed.

"What about you?" He suddenly asked. "You've been awfully cryptic as you've been the perfect student today: knowing when to bow, answering questions correctly and reciting the _Fire Nation _oath! How do you even know that?"

I sighed and kicked at some pebbles on our walk down. It was only a matter of time before the gang found more out about me. I should have already told them at this point, but why I hadn't was beyond me. "Truth is, Aang, I use to live here." The air-bender gave me a shocked stare. "It was when I was younger though. Then my dad died...doing his job," I vaguely explained. "And I relocated out to the Earth Kingdom." I was half expecting him to tell me to leave-that I couldn't be a part of their team anymore, but the avatar was not upset. He simply gazed upon me in wonder.

"How come you never told us?" He innocently asked.

"I was afraid of being rejected by you guys." I told him the truth. "I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with me traveling with you if you knew I lived in the Fire Nation at one point." For a few moments Aang said nothing. Then he put his arm over my shoulder in a true friendship spirit. He grinned at me, and then I knew he didn't think of me any differently.

"Karuna, I'd never judge you based on where you're from rather than who you actually are. What counts is that you're my friend, and one of my teachers." This brought a smile to my face as well. "And what you and I should really be worried about is what the others are going to say once we tell them where we've been."

* * *

><p>"You did<em><strong> WHAT<strong>?_" Sokka roared, practically deafening both Aang and myself. The acoustics of the cave didn't help much either. In fact, it made Sokka's voice more amplified.

"Enrolled in a Fire Nation school?" Aang hid behind me and his answer lacked all confidence. Though Sokka was a beanpole, he was kind of scary when he got angry. For one, the volume of his voice went way up. He also made the most menacing looking faces when he was enraged. Katara sighed and put her head in her hands. Toph snickered from her seat on a boulder in front of the campfire the three had made. She was the only one who was almost never phased by his shouting.

"Are you completely_ insane_?" The Water Tribe boy continued on with his riot act. Aang smiled nervously as if to say "yes." Sokka pointed a finger at me. "And _you _went along with all of this?" I pushed is hand out of my face and glared at him.

"Hey! I had no choice in the matter, ponytail! The guards thought we were skippin' school and hauled us off. I had no say in the matter whatsoever!"

Toph kicked at some embers at the edge of the fire and spat loudly on the ground. "Would you guys quit it? It's giving me a headache. Plus, you're gonna give us away if you don't shut the hell up, Sokka!" My cousin pointed out.

"I wanna go back tomorrow." Aang said, once everyone settled down. Sokka sprung up again to give us an earful but Toph hit the ground with her fist, producing a surface wave which sent the Water Tribe boy flying backwards onto his butt.

"Um why do you guys want to go to school?" The little earth-bender asked us. "We're already in disguise-we can just ask around for information if we need it." My cousin did have a point. But Aang found fault in her argument.

"Don't you think that could be a bit suspicious? If we attend the school we'll learn more and more about the Fire Nation. I bet we could acquire some vital information if we just gave it a second shot." The Air Nomad argued. He then looked to me for support. "You'll go back with me, right Karuna?" I sat in silence. I hated being put on the spot. Aang was right about one thing: we could definitely figure out more about the Fire Nation by going to the school but how much of the information would be valid to our mission? The only thing I thought was necessary to learn was that Firelord Ozai was bad news and if Aang wanted to end his rein, he'd need to become even more powerful.

"I don't know, Aang. I might have to agree with Sokka this time." I nodded towards the tan boy who was still rubbing his sore rear end. "I'm gonna think it over, okay?" I stood up and retreated to the back of the cave. It's what I always did when things got uncomfortable; I walked out.

I bit into an orange pepper I had bought from the market on the walk home with Aang. I hadn't eaten a sweet pepper in a long time. I liked the crunchiness and the flavor. I laid on one of the sleeping bags we had taken out of Appa's saddle and stared up at the cave ceiling. The stalactites all looked like stone daggers about to strike me. It reminded me of Mai a little. I raised the bell pepper up to my mouth but then it was snatched out of my grasp. I turned my head quickly to see the water-bender flop down beside me and proceed to take a bite out of my pepper. "Really?" I laughed dryly at Katara.

"Mhm." The tan girl responded, still chewing. She kept hold of the vegetable. I shook my head and then laid it back down on the sleeping bag.

"Yeah, so when were you going to tell us you were from the Fire Nation?" Katara asked suddenly. She sounded peeved off. I rolled my eyes. _Uh, Aang. _Baldy must have told her. How else would she know?

" I was getting to it." I fibbed.

"Oh I'm _sure_ you were." Katara's voice was dripping with condescending tones.

"Alright, listen." I fessed up. " I lived on the outskirts of the homeland when I was a little girl." I lied. "I didn't mention it before because I thought you guys would be offended."

"Well, I'm offended that you don't think you can be open with me about stuff." The water-bender shared. "Seriously, Karuna, we've known each other well enough where we can talk to each other about anything." I wished I could be upfront about things, but that just wasn't the type of person I was. There were some things that were better left alone and untouched in my opinion. I wished she could understand that.

" I'm sorry Katara, but I have a hard time trusting. It's not easy for me to just let everything out anymore." The darker skinned girl sympathized and remembered our conversation on the beach shore two months ago.

"I know..." The water-bender acknowledged my struggle. "I just want you to feel like you can rely on me." The two of us sat in silence for a little while. I could hear the boys and Toph near the mouth of the cave. The last time I checked, they were popping corn over the fire. From the ruckus I had just heard, chances were, Momo stole a stalk from Sokka.

"So," Katara broke the silence. "Aang said the teacher at the school said you looked like a past avatar." He must have told her about our whole damn day! I nodded my head at the Water Tribe girl. "enlighten me." She grinned playfully. This resulted in a small smirk from me and I sat up a bit.

"Avatar Sango was an earth-bender. She was around 800 some years ago in the cycle before Kyoshi. People use to tell me all the time I looked like her." I explained.

"Why'd they stop?" Katara asked. I shrugged my shoulders at this.

"I guess most don't remember her anymore. It _was _a long time ago you know." It was a mystery to me as well. Katara cocked her head to the side and looked at me.

"What was her story?" The water-bender then wondered. I inhaled slowly, trying to recall what my father had taught me and the stories he use to read to me.

"Well," I began, as bits and pieces started returning to memory. "she stood her ground for what she believed in-like us. She was a legendary bender prior to discovering she was the avatar, as the stories say. She fought hard to keep peace between rival cities and kingdoms. And in the end, she died trying to save the one she loved." I looked back at Katara who was absorbing every word I said. Her blue eyes stared into mine of gray. "It makes me wonder..." I went on. "what causes someone to go to such a great length like that." The concept simply eluded me. Then, I felt a familiar warmth on my skin.

"She must have had someone who was worth the fall." Katara concluded. I looked down to find that the water-bender was holding my hand.


	13. Things Get A Little Heated

I want to take time to personally thank **Fengxian** for the suggestions and ideas! I wanted to fit one of them into this chapter but then decided to make it be the first thing in the next one. Again, thank you! It gave me something different to work on and incorporate into this fic! Hope you guys like this chapter, **invasion** is gonna be the chapter after the next!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Yeah, this river is totally polluted. It explains why I haven't caught anything yet, cuz normally my fishing skills are...off the <em>hook!" <em>Sokka held up his mud covered fishing hook for all to see. I simply rolled my eyes.

"Just stop now, Sokka." I groaned, growing tired of hearing bad pun after bad pun. The five of us, well except Aang, sat in Appa's saddle as the Sky Bison trudged through the polluted water. The avatar had jumped into the murky river and was playing a hide-and-seek game with Momo. There was no way I would join him; the thought of that sludge on me made my skin crawl. Aang hopped back up onto Appa's saddle.

"It definitely _feels _polluted." The avatar agreed. The muddy water dripped off his body. The boy then outstretched his limbs and drew in a deep breath. I knew what he was planning to do and I tried to object to it.

"Ew, Aang-don't!" I did not want to get showered with murky sludge, and I was pretty sure no one else in our party wanted that either. The air-bender sucked in more air. "Aang, I'm warning you: if that stuff gets all over me, I'm going to kill you!" The avatar ignored my threat and carried out his action. He bumped his fists together and a jet of air sent the muddy water flying in all directions. A glob caught me in my good eye, disabling my vision. "That's it!" I hollered, diving towards where I had just seen Aang. The force of my tackle sent us both soaring off of Appa and into the polluted river. It was the last place I wanted to be, but since Aang had sprayed us all with the contaminated water already, avoiding it was inevitable. The Air Nomad and I wrestled in the sludge. I dunked him several times, trying to hold him under as long as I could.

"What are you doing?" Katara reprimanded, growing worried as she watched the two of us fight in the river. Aang resurfaced and fought to push me under. We were pretty well matched in brute force alone.

"Finishing what Azula started!"I explained, fighting to keep my head above the water.

We found a town about a half mile down the river. The town was built in the middle of the river on piers and docks. Since we couldn't risk flying in on Appa, we found a more secluded area up by some hills on land. Appa stayed put with a large blanket of leaves which covered all except his horns. I told Aang it looked a bit strange, but he didn't think so.

One of the locals by the name of Doc gave us a lift to the town on a raft. The people in the town looked absolutely miserable. Like Doc had said, it was a struggle for them to survive now. I had seen poverty before, but never to this level. And of all places, in the Fire Nation. It made me thank the spirits for my health and well being. I also prayed for the poor citizens in the village.

"We have to help these people." Katara said to me, observing the poor living conditions and malnourished townspeople. Her blue eyes were filled with care and sorrow. The water-bender was right; something should be done. As peace keepers, it was our duty to help people in need. But how could we help them and where would we start?

"I would if I could, Katara," I reassured her. My face molded into an expression of melancholy as well. "But I don't think there's anything we can do now. We're only passing through." The Water Tribe girl frowned and stared at the dock boards below. I wished we could help somehow, but we couldn't stop and intervene every time there was a problem.

I was still getting use to the constant confusion and ridiculousness of Doc and "Xu." We all knew it was the same man with the crazy white hair, but he was convinced he had a brother. I gave up on trying to tell him he was nuts and wasn't fooling anyone. Appa came down with something overnight and he seemed pretty tired. Half his tongue was purple instead of the normal pink, which tipped us off that he was under the weather. The gang and I headed into town for some food and medicine to help Appa recover quickly.

The second day in the town was less depressing than the first for some reason. The people and even the scene itself seemed happier. The gang noticed it as well. "Something amazing happened last night!" Xu told us from under his hut-stand. "Food was delivered to our village by a wonderful and mysterious person...the Painted Lady!"

"The painted who now?" Katara asked, obviously misinformed. It made sense why the group seemed utterly clueless. They had not grown up in the Fire Nation or had read any myths or folklore about the region.

"She's a spirit." I explained to my water-bender friend.

"Right you are, young lady!" Xu...or was it Doc, smiled at me. "She's part of our town's lore." The older man placed a figurine of the Painted Lady on the stand for everyone to see. The miniature statue wore thin robes of beige and her face and shoulders were painted with red markings. A crescent moon was displayed on her forehead. She also wore a douli* on her head. "They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend...until now!" Sokka listened to the old man skeptically. The boy then turned around to take a good look at the town again. Children played on the docks and the atmosphere was more friendly and inviting than it had been the previous day.

"See? We don't need to help these people. The mystical spirits and powers that be have got it covered!" He tried convincing his sister. "We'll just take some medicine for our friend." The Water Tribe boy reached into his coin bag.

"Sorry," Xu began. "All the medicine we have goes directly to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village." That meant we couldn't give Appa anything for his sudden sickness. I hoped our Sky Bison friend would become well soon without the help of special herbs. Sokka was already on everyone's case about sticking tight to his schedule; the setback would be all we'd hear about for weeks to come.

"Looks like we'll have to stay another night so that Appa can rest." Katara quickly concluded. I found it a bit odd that she immediately jumped to that decision without consulting anyone. She also seemed to be in a peculiarly chipper mood. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I had a hunch that Katara was keeping something from us. Sokka reluctantly agreed with his sister and after purchasing some nasty looking fish from Xu, we headed back to Appa.

Toph also noticed Katara's eagerness to stay near the village. At first, my cousin and I didn't know what to make of it. We guessed that the water-bender was trying to find a way to help the town. We also thought that Katara might be looking for a chance to meet the Painted Lady because she was a _river _spirit. Heck, the girl might have just been pleased to spite her brother. "All I know is that miss fancy pants has been actin' kinda strange these past few days." The blind girl whispered to me as our campfire began to die out. "I can feel it." I concurred with my relative. The darker skinned girl had been acting a little suspicious ever since we visited the town. And last night, she had wandered off somewhere when everyone else was asleep. I was only half awake when it happened, so I had not clear idea where she might have gone.

"I wonder what she's up to. I'm gonna stay awake and follow her if she goes anywhere tonight." I clued Toph in on my plan. The little earth-bender thought it was worth a shot.

"Fine by me if that's what you wanna do. But _I'm _getting _all _my hours of well deserved rest." Soon after, we all hopped into our sleeping bags and hit the sack.

A few hours after everyone officially called it a night, I noticed Katara was missing. I hadn't actually seen her leave though because I must have nodded off at some point. I wanted to kick myself; the whole point of _pretending _to be asleep was so I could be _awake _when Katara left our campground. The water-bender could have been gone for a while at that point, but that didn't discourage me from going along with my original scheme. I silently unzipped my sleeping bag and wriggled out. Sokka was snoring loudly and Aang and Toph were out cold.

I decided to take the route I swore Katara had gone down the night before. Once I was out of earshot of the others, I began to run down the stoney path. I was still getting use to the terrain on the edges of the homeland. The ground wasn't nearly as rocky closer to the palace. It was dark that night, but the crescent moon helped provide some light to guide me around the hills and ledges. Soon, the path grew slanted and it descended down to the waterside. That's when I noticed the figure in the distance. A dark, maroon cloak trailed on the ground behind the person. The figure wore a douli and was surrounded by an eerie looking mist. I couldn't believe it but Xu had been right; there really was a Painted Lady!

_Wait till I tell the guys! _I thought. The only spirits I had ever encountered were Avatar Kyoshi and my father. Running down the path and gathering momentum, I called out to her. "Excuse me! Wait!" The Painted Lady stood at the edge of the shore. I created a mini landslide on the ground so that I could reach the spirit in time. The Painted Lady whirled around quickly upon my arrival, face hidden by the douli. "I'm sorry to bother you ma'am," I began politely. "It's an honor to meet you." The spirit turned away from me and started towards the water. _What? She's leaving? _I was bewildered. "Please don't go," I begged the Painted Lady. For a moment, it seemed as if she was going to take off across the river and leave me there by myself. But instead she waited, though her back was still to me.

"I wanted to thank you for what you've done for this village. It would meant a lot to my friend to know that someone else cares." The spirit moved to face me again and for a split second, I could make out red markings against a tan complexion. Too soon the douli covered her eyes and nose. "I haven't met many spirits," I admitted. "But I think you're the most beautiful I've seen." A light shade of rose appeared on the spirit's dark cheeks. Spirits could blush? I learned something new every day.

"Thank you." The Painted Lady replied all mysterious-like. I smiled warmly. Then, I saw a flash of blue as the spirit looked to the west.

"You remind me of someone." I told her, trying to get a better view of her face and features.

"Oh?" The spirit responded, avoiding my gaze. The way she spoke was very familiar. "A mortal?" The voice was a dead giveaway. With a new found epiphany, I gathered my courage to step closer to the river spirit.

"Yes. She's very dear to me." I explained. I raised my arms up to touch the sides of the douli. "I'm not quite sure if you know her. Her name..." I lifted the hat from her head, letting the chocolate brown strands spill down her back. "...is Katara." I stared at the shocked and confused look upon the water-bender's face. Red markings covered her skin and a yellow crescent moon was painted onto her forehead. "Tara, what are you doing?" I smiled wryly at her. Though I was a bit surprised it was really her in disguise, I didn't show it. She looked cute in her getup, thought I knew she was going for a more serious appearance.

"I was just trying to help the village." Katara stared at the ground. "And since everyone thought I was the Painted Lady...I kind of became her." She made a gesture at her wardrobe. I sunk it all in. We started pacing down the way we came.

"It was extremely generous of you to help the town prosper again. It's truly amazing what you've done. Just in a few days, everything seems so much better here." I praised her. The darker skinned girl beamed at me. I suddenly remembered the compliment I had given her when I thought she was the Painted Lady. I began to feel a bit embarrassed. I picked up the douli and handed it back to the water-bender. "Here. I don't want to stop you from aiding those in need." Katara placed the hat on top of her head again and hid her hair in the maroon hood of her cloak. Just as we were about to part ways, we saw someone sprinting down the path toward us.

"Hide!" Katara lunged at me, taking us both down at the side of a boulder that jutted out of the ground. It shielded us from the figure's view for the time being. I landed on my back and I was pretty sure where I had made contact wasn't exactly flat. In other words, the fall wasn't very fun.

"Damn it, Katara! What was that for?" I hissed at the girl who now lay on top of me. She raised a finger to her lips, symbolizing the need for silence. The footsteps came to a slow trot close by and none other than Aang came into view. The kid must have woken up shortly after me and realized the two of us were gone. The avatar completely missed us and inspected the area of land along the edge of the river. He stared out past the water in the direction of the village. If the Air Nomad stayed oblivious, and if Katara and I could keep quiet, maybe he wouldn't see us and give us an earful for sneaking out late. Unfortunately for us though, at the angle Aang stood, there was almost no way he could miss us once he turned around. Upon spotting us, the avatar's gray irises widened and his headband flapped behind him as he drew closer.

"Painted Lady!" He gasped and called out to Katara. "I have a favor to ask! Do you think you could help heal my-" All of a sudden, his tone changed as our images became clearer in his vision. "Why are you attacking my friend?" Katara hadn't moved off of me at this point. And at first glance, it might have looked as if she were trying to strangle me or something. The avatar did a double take as he went right up to us. He blinked several times and glanced back and forth at both of us. "Wait...Karuna..._Katara?_ What are you guys doing out here?"

"Well gee, Aang. What does it _look _like we're doing?" I replied, sarcastically from my place on the ground. There was a moment of silence between us and in that time the avatar's jaw opened slightly. Next, he made a face.

"Uhm..do you _really _want me to answer that?" All color drained from my face. Within seconds, Katara and I both scrambled to get off of each other. I was not expecting that kind of response from the kid; he was _12 _after all, and pretty well mannered. In a certain light it was amusing to see that side of Aang. "So what's going on you guys? Seriously." The avatar asked, still quite confused. Katara and I looked at one another. There was no point in lying to Aang.

Katara removed her douli once more and looked down. "I'm sorry for being secretive Aang. I just wanted to help this village. The town looks to their patron spirit, and I guess I became a symbol for her. There was no way I could convince Sokka to let us stay to lend a helping hand, so I had to create a roadblock or two."

"So you made Appa sick?" I couldn't tell if the Air Nomad was shocked or angry with her.

"No, no!" The water-bender clarified. "Well...if he _is _sick, it's because I've been feeding him a ton of berries; that's why his tongue is purple. To me it looked like he had some type of cold virus, but he should be fine." Aang paused for a minute to comprehend. The avatar's mood seemed to lighten.

"Wow. That was pretty clever, Katara." Aang praised her. The water-bender glanced up at him.

"You're not upset?" She seemed surprised. Aang just shook his head.

"Well, you could have told us about your secret vigilante lifestyle," Aang teased, causing Katara to giggle. "But I'm glad you're helping the townspeople despite Sokka and his schedule. It's very noble of you, Katara." The darker skinned girl beamed and all the tension seemed to vanish from the three of us.

"I was on my way to do one last mission for the town." Katara informed us. "Would you two like to help me?" Aang grinned and nodded eagerly. I thought, _What the heck, might as hell humor her. _

"I'm game."

* * *

><p>We left the river town in much better condition than when we first arrived at it. Destroying the factory did result in a confrontation with some Fire Nation soldiers, but the gang and I took care of them. We moved on to the next town which was much bigger and better organized. Sokka finally shared with us that he felt left out since he wasn't a bender and wanted to study a certain weapon.<p>

The group and I ventured into an armory where Sokka tested out various weapons, searching for one to his liking. After many accidents and failures, the Water Tribe boy was informed that a great swordsman lived on the outskirts of town. His name was Master Piando. I remembered the name because an old acquaintance of mine had mentioned him in passing once. Jade had wished to study with Piando before traveling the world on her own.

Sokka had asked me to go with him to learn from Piando. I was dumbfounded a this, since I didn't necessarily need to learn better swordsmanship; I was a bender after all. At first I declined, but the warrior boy began to follow me around with koala-otter pout until I finally gave in. The other three found great humor in this. I had to admit it did look pretty funny. Strengthening my skill with the sword might not be such a bad idea. Plus, this would be a good bonding activity for Sokka and I.

_Clink! _I struck the hammer against the hot metal which lay on top of an anvil. The orange glow of the metal dimmed the more I went to town on it with the hammer. After three weeks of training, Piando had Sokka and I create our own swords. I chose steel for my blade; it was strong, flexible and reliable. The heat was extreme as we worked in the flames. I pushed the bangs out of my eyes for the hundredth time that day. I could feel the heat radiating off my body even though I wore light pants and a sleeveless shirt.

I turned around to face the Water Tribe boy, who was busy chiseling more of his space rock. He decided to use the meteor that had crashed on the earth a few nights ago as his material for his weapon. The boy was shirtless and thought he wasn't quite as toned as Zuko, he was still muscular in a sense. Realizing, that I had been staring for some time, I quickly resumed my work on my sword. Once Sokka used a metal poker to place the meteor bits in the fire to melt, he made his way over to me. I was still pounding away with my hammer. The darker skinned boy observed my every move.

"Wow. You make this look so easy!" I laughed, and kept right on working. "Have you done this before or something? You're a natural!" As a matter of fact, I had. Before I became Master Yu's assistant at his academy, I had worked in blacksmith shops in neighboring towns.

"Well, my father was a blacksmith," I lied. I would've told Sokka the truth but then it might have led into a long discussion on how I got to that point. As far as the gang knew now, I lived in the Fire Nation briefly, moved out with Toph and had been living with her since. "I learned a lot that way."

"Tell me about him." Sokka urged, growing curious. It had been a while since I brought up the topic with my father. I normally didn't talk about such personal and touchy subjects. It was painful to me and the gang had never prodded me for answers or knowledge of that kind. I saw no harm in having this kind of conversation with the warrior boy though.

"Oh, where do I start? He was a brilliant man-all self taught. He passed most of that knowledge on to me. He was hard working, patient, kind and determined. No one else could have given me better guidance. He was my teacher, my protector, my best friend when I had none. All that I am now is because of him-how he raised me." I felt myself begin to tear up and my voice wavered ever so slightly. "I never stop missing him. I have so many memories, but we could have made more. He left too soon." Sokka gave me a look of sympathy. Without a word, he then opened up his arms to embrace me and I accepted his gesture immediately. He kept his hold on me as I tried my best not to cry against his chest. His arms felt like home and I suddenly never wanted to leave them.

"He sounds a lot like my dad." Sokka said a while later. The boy was still waiting for his space rock to melt at the right temperature, so I waited with him. The two of us sat against the stone at the base of the kiln. I nodded my head and smiled a little.

"When I met your father, I saw mine in him. They're very similar." The only difference was that the two men fought on opposing sides. I rested my head on Sokka's shoulder, which was surprisingly comfortable.

"You know," Sokka changed the subject. "I'm not sure if I've already told you this, but I'm really glad you joined our team." I grinned at the boy's sincerity. "I'm glad Toph did too," he quickly added. "though she can be a handful." That was the honest to gods truth. My cousin was more stubborn than a komodo-rhino, and had the temper of a platypus-bear. "I haven't had many girls as friends and it's nice to just, ya know talk instead of rough and tough guy stuff." I punched him in the arm playfully.

"Have all the heart-to-hearts you want with your sister but _I'm_ tough as nails. Remember, I'm one of the guys, ponytail." Sokka always responded positively to my friendly teasing.

"That might be so, storm," he called me that because my eyes looked like the sea after a hurricane. "But it doesn't change the fact that you're a girl...er woman. Come to think of it, how old are you?" Birthdays hadn't exactly been the number one thing on my mind now that I was traveling with the gang. It had surprised me once I realized I had forgotten about my own birth date which had passed. It was in mid spring and there we were just beginning summer.

"15." I told him.

"So you're of age now." Sokka concluded. In most cultures, "coming of age" was on 15th or 16th birthday of an adolescent. Usually celebrations and parties were thrown, but we were in the middle of a war and it wasn't a priority. "Katara is too." He informed me. I figured the water-bender had to be around my age, though most of the time she acted older.

"So how old are you, like 10?" I teased the warrior boy again. Sokka just laughed and bopped me on the head lightly.

"You blind like your cousin? I'm a man!" He joked around, using his macho voice. I practically chocked on my laughter as it came out loudly. "17 in a couple of weeks." He continued with the same goofy voice. I couldn't look at him with a straight face. The darker skinned boy was such a ham. "C'mon, I know you want a piece of this." He pointed to himself and wiggled his eyebrows. I snorted and once again cracked a smile. He could always put me in a better mood.

"You know it." I humored him. "I'm _so _diggin' your non-existent six-pack!" The Water Tribe boy pretended to be offended by my response.

"Non-existent? Girlie, you have not felt the Sokkster then!" The boy was an absolute card. Taking him literally, I poked him in the shoulder.

"Have now." I giggled. Sokka stopped kidding around for about two seconds.

"No, seriously." He said without humor. "Here." The darker skinned boy grabbed my hand with his rough fingers and placed it on his stomach. The boy's skin was still pretty warm from the hours of work we had put in towards our weapons. Though his build didn't look particularly sculpted or out of the ordinary, I could _feel _the hardness and muscle mass in his abdomen. "See? I told ya." The boy gloated. "Impressive huh?"

"For you." I raised an eyebrow in a skeptical yet humorous way. The goofy grin returned to Sokka's face. The smirk soon vanished from my face. _What are you doing? Why are you touching him?_ I removed my hand from his chest.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked him. Sokka's face suddenly fell and a shade of pink colored his cheeks. His eyes widened a bit at my question.

"Oh no, I mean yes, I do. But I didn't mean to-I hope you didn't think that-" Sokka tripped over his words. "I'm with Suki, I would never!" The boy soon stopped trying to explain himself after the failed attempts. He stared at the stone ground. "Shit." He swore under his breath. The darker skinned teen looked frustrated with himself and a little embarrassed as well. "I'm really sorry if you took that the wrong way. You must think I'm an idiot." He apologized. "I wouldn't do that. I'm not like that." I should have known better than to have my doubts. Of course the boy was telling the truth; he was a complete sweetheart and had never done anything scummy before. The reason it had seemed kind of wrong was because I blew it out of proportion. The goofy warrior boy wasn't trying to hit on me, he was just being, well, himself. Never would he ever hurt Suki or any other girl in such a way. Of course I believed him.

"Don't sweat it, Sokka. I was just givin' ya a hard time." I fibbed, trying to diffuse the tension and awkwardness. The boy scoffed and shook his head at me.

"Spirits, Karuna. Way to give a guy the shakes. And I didn't even do anything wrong!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go around letting random girls feel up your "abs."" I bantered, using air quotes on the last word of my sentence. Sokka nudged into me playfully with his whole left side.

"Yeah, you are pretty random aren't you?" The warrior boy tantalized. I chuckled softly and sighed deeply afterward. The heat from the fires was making me more and more drowsy by the minute. I closed my eyelids for a moment and the last thing I remembered was leaning my head against Sokka's shoulder and feeling a warm, protective arm around me.

* * *

><p>We took all the life lessons learned from Piando and continued our journey further into the Fire Nation. The training had reminded me of earlier years of my youth when I was still trying to perfect my fire-bending. I was glad I had been with Sokka this time around though because he was a friend I knew I would stay true to until the end.<p>

Piando had his butler deliver us a token to remember him by before we departed. It was a White Lotus tile from a Pai Sho set. Neither one of us knew why it was bestowed upon us, but I had a notion that the sword master had his reasons. I thought of Uncle Iroh whenever I studied the White Lotus tile. I wondered what the keepsake meant.

"Geez Aang, cover up!" Toph teased from her seat on the rocks. The avatar floated on his back in the water with Momo resting on his chest. Aang lifted his head a little to acknowledge my cousin.

"What? I'm wearing trunks." The Air Nomad chuckled at his remark.

Instead of migrating on to the next town, the gang and I happened upon an enormous cratered out area in the Earth with a lake in it. We decided to stay a few days there, just like how we had camped out in the Earth Kingdom. Everyone was enjoying the water...except for Toph. She still preferred to be as little submerged as possible. Even Sokka had loosened up and joined in on the fun.

"I would _hope _so," Toph continued with the banter. "But it's your tattoos I'm worried about. Someone could easily spot you."

"I think we're good Toph. The walls of the canyon are high and it's not like the area is really populated or anything-" I barely had time to finish my statement when Katara came barreling out of nowhere and knocked me clear off my feet. The lake water greeted the rest of my body with its cool embrace. I tried to sit up but the water-bender was still holding onto me and laughing her ass off.

"_Why _are you always trying to drown me?" Every time we were near a body of water of any sorts, Katara felt the need wrestle and tackle me down.

"Now you know why she didn't have any friends when we were kids." Sokka joked in a brotherly way. Katara didn't seem to hear him. The warrior boy started to splash Toph who was nice and dry.

"You're absolutely terrible!" The pale girl complained. "Pickin' on a poor little blind girl." My cousin crossed her arms and pretended to pout. We all knew she was being facetious and really wasn't all that offended.

Katara was still stuck in her laughing fit next to me. "You should have seen your face when you hit the water!" The darker skinned girl must have really gotten a kick out of it. I could only imagine what that might have looked like. I stood up and cracked my neck.

"If that's how you wanna play, alright!" I dived at the girl's legs and took her down, thus officially beginning yet another one of our water fights. "Your brother tells me you're ticklish!" I grinned deviously. Katara's blue eyes widened with fear and anticipation. She squealed and tried to make a run for it. I pinned her down in a flash and started to tickle her sides. She thrashed and squirmed in my grasp. She kicked too; the girl had power in her legs. While trying to escape, she socked me in the side of my face. I recoiled a tad.

"Oh! Is _that _how we're gonna do this?" I picked the girl up and tossed her about seven feet away back into the water. I took a firm stance, digging my toes into the lake floor. Once Katara got back up, it was go time! The two of us charged at each other with full force and tried to overpower the other.

"So who do you think's gonna win?" Sokka asked Toph on the sidelines. The short earth-bender felt the ground before giving him an answer.

"Hard to tell, snoozles. The force is strong with those two."

"I feel like I've heard that before somewhere." Sokka stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"No you haven't," Toph insisted. "_I _made that one up. Hey, watch this!" She stamped her foot on the ground and the ripple traveled into the lake. Katara and I were pushed apart by a block of earth which emerged between us, throwing each of us back onto our butts in the water. Sokka and Toph laughed at us from the waterside. It was then that I noticed our air-bender friend had disappeared.

"Where the heck is Aang?"

"He just went down that water tunnel." Sokka informed me as he pointed to the other side of the lake. Water rushed at the mouth of the opening and seemed to run downwards.

"Hm. Looks like fun." I observed. "If Aang comes back, we'll know if it was any good."

"Karuna!" Katara scolded me for my off color comment. I meant it all in good spirit. She then rolled her eyes and did her best not to laugh as well.

The five of us were beat once nightfall came. The hours spent hanging out in the lake tuckered us out. It was pretty warm that night so we slept on top of our sleeping bags in our undergarments which we wore in the water. Actually, Aang and Toph both passed out on the solid ground. Sokka slept soundly two feet away from my cousin and Katara had curled up next to me. _Right _next to me. Like, as close as you can get to someone if you know what I mean. Appa's steady snoring lulled me to sleep as usual...or was it Sokka's? Everyone would have probably agreed it was on of the best nights of sleep we had yet but there was one teeny, tiny complication. I lied; it was a _huge _complication.

I was in the stages of light sleep when Toph woke with a start. "Guys, you're gonna think I'm friggin' nuts, but it feels like a metal man is coming!" She spoke loudly to wake the others up as well.

"Can't he come back later?" Katara mumbled beside me, still partly asleep. She buried her face into my side. I glanced around wildly, searching for the metal man my cousin spoke of. Just then, I saw a beam of light shine down from the top of the canyon into Aang's eyes. It came from a figure that stood up above on the crater's edges. That light. The ray was at a perfect angle. My military instincts kicked in and I rose to my feet. Aang was being targeted.

"Get down!" I shouted, quickly lunging at the avatar and taking us both away from the spot. A split second after, the slanted land to the side of us was hit by some kind of explosion. _BOOM!_ It was loud; I hadn't heard anything at this volume in a long time. Everyone was pushed backwards from the force, and we are all well awake now. Toph created a reverse avalanche and directed the projectiles at our attacker. The rocks exploded out from the center and the spark seemed to stem from the figure's head. _Spirits almighty! What is this? _The same thing happened when Katara tried creating an enormous tidal wave to wipe him out. Steam settled into the crater after the third explosion and we used the resource to take cover and regroup.

"How do we beat a guy who blows shit up with his mind?" Sokka asked us as we braced ourselves against the makeshift rock bunker. The impacts of the explosions echoed in the canyon. That was a damn good question. Whoever the attacker was, they were extremely powerful.

"You guys get on Appa. I'll distract him!" Aang jumped to his feet and ran off through the smoke out of the canyon. The four of us didn't need to be told twice!

Sokka hoisted Toph onto the Sky Bison first. The man had descended from the top of the cliff and started in our direction. My cousin had been right when she first spread the alarm. From afar, I could see that two of each limb were artificial and made of metal. _Who is he? _It looked like he was going after Aang, so Katara and I turned to make a beeline for Appa. Suddenly, I heard something swish in the air very close to us. I pulled the water-bender down to the ground with me and raised a rock shield over our heads. The combustion made a dent in the shield but we were okay. Soon after, Katara and I bolted over to Appa and we took off to grab Aang and get the hog-monkeys out of there!

* * *

><p><strong>Mai's POV<strong>

We had done everything right. We had tracked down the avatar to Ba Sing Se. We had infiltrated the Earth Kingdom capital through espionage. We had seized control and subjugated those who stood in our way. The Earth Kingdom fell to us and lay in the palms of our hands. Azula's brilliance led us to victory. So why was the princess still so distant and unsatisfied?

I couldn't remember the last time Azula had truly been happy. It had to have been before Sankari had supposedly died. After a certain age, it seemed as if only she were able to keep the Fire Nation princess at calm and relaxed. There was no one else Azula cared for as much as that girl. I had believed that Sankari was dead along with the others. The news of her passing affected me greatly. Sankari was the only one I felt close enough with to be myself around; I considered her a great friend to me. It was a shock to see her alive and breathing in the palace at Ba Sing Se. I would never have known it was her if I hadn't been paying attention. The girl from the Water Tribe had called her a different name but I distinctly remember something Sankari had said to me the night she gave up her life in the Fire Nation:

"_Sankari is gone, Mai. She died once I learned the truth. I am Karuna of the Earth Kingdom"_

Just moments before, she had still been dead to me. A great awakening took place inside me that day. Of all things, she was traveling with the avatar and his group. The girl I had once known was much different now, and her priorities had certainly changed. What happened to the young Fire Nation General who had such passion for her bending and pride for her country? Things change and people change. It's a simple lesson that never ceases to be taught.

I watched the waves roll in from my place on the shore. The night was cool and calm, like most. It was quite boring, but the entire day had been somewhat eventful. I didn't mind Ember Island as much as the next place, even if we had been sent there on a forced vacation-as Zuko put it. Just thinking about the prince put me in a terrible mood. The boy had lost his cool at a party the four of us were invited to, and part of me was glad I had dumped him on the spot in front of everyone. He needed to realize his temper was out of control. I wasn't asking him to become an emotionless blob, as he had called me, but he needed to stop throwing fits over nothing. That was another thing that angered me about him; he said plenty of rude and hurtful shit when he was pissed off.

"Where has my brother wandered off to?" Azula approached me. "I'm growing tired of these immature tantrums of his." She sounded very annoyed; it seemed as though she was especially agitated these days. I shrugged my shoulders. How should I know.

"I'm not his keeper." I responded in my normal monotone drawl. I thought Azula would have snapped at me then, but instead the princess simply crossed her arms and stared out into the sea with me in silence. It was strange to see the girl out of uniform or armor. I'd known Azula to rarely wear anything that average girls in the Fire Nation wore. Her hair was also hardly out of the topknot, and I was unaware of how long it really was. The princess was very beautiful, but her ambitious demeanor and predator-like nature made her seem untouchable and intimidating. I also know her well enough to know that even she put up walls as a defense mechanism. And I knew that these walls could be moved or swayed by the right person. I could get her to talk to me. "What are you thinking about?" I subtlety pried.

It took a Azula a few minutes until she answered me. She seemed to have been lost in a trance. The waves often pull one into a daze. She looked up at me with golden eyes and sighed. "Just somebody that I use to know." The silence between us started back up again. I looked behind my shoulder to make sure that the acrobat was not within earshot. I didn't want to risk hurting my friend's feelings, even if she was a bit too sensitive at times.

"Tell me, Azula, is Ty Lee her replacement, or your way of getting over her?" The princess gave me a look that would have massacred an entire army. I knew I would get this type of reaction out of her. It was the reason I had asked the question in the first place. I wanted to know.

"I don't need this from you, Mai." Azula coldly spat. "Don't stick your head in things you don't understand." That killed me. If only I was more fond of laughing.

The ocean breeze lifted the ends of my dark hair. "So that's really what's been bothering you this whole time." I concluded. The princess suddenly snapped. It was a matter of time before the breaking point would be reached.

"What do you want from me? If you want to hear some well practiced sob story then go bother Zuko! It's bad enough that I've already fucked up! I don't need to be reminded! Stop trying to play "therapist" Mai, because it's not working!" What came out of Azula's mouth was much different than any of the other times she'd yelled or screamed at about spirits knows what. She admitted to screwing something up-a personal first for her. The girl must really have been suffering in order for her to go off in such a way that proved she had feelings like a normal human being. The princess was just like the rest of us, but no one seemed to believe me. "She's back, Mai." Azula continued, in a much more level voice the second time around. She placed her head in her hands. "She's back..."

Suddenly I began to understand Azula's conflict. A sinking feeling started in the pit of my stomach. Then the question rose inside of me. Because we fought in the name of the Fire Nation, did that meant we would _have_ to end my dearest friend's life? And would it be by my hands?


	14. Confronting Tension & Facing Adversity

Okay, THIS is the longest chapter so far! I'll say this right now: a handful of you will be very happy with me :3 because of some stuff (*cough cough* **xtenchix**!) , the rest of you...I don't know what your take on this will be but you'll just have to read to find out! I wanna thank **Fengxian **again for the ideas, and also I think you might recognize the first part of the this chapter!...well its not exactly the first part...its more of the middle! :D Everyone else enjoy and Happy Earth Day!  
><strong> ~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Step away from my lips<em>_  
><em>_Step away from my throat__  
><em>_If you need me let me know_

The events that night had been the craziest thing to happen to us yet in the Fire Nation. None of us had ever seen the man who attacked us before in our lives. It was insane how he could create explosions from his mind, or at least that's what it looked it. The five of us were paranoid by the possibility that the man knew who we were. I mean, who starts a fight with random strangers they happen to come across?

After relocating miles North of the crater to Fire Fountain City, Toph decided to use her earth-bender senses to get us some more money. The harmless scamming soon escalated as Aang, Sokka and I were suckered in. Katara was utterly pissed at our behavior and discouraged what we were doing severely, and rightfully so; the people of the town had begun to piece things together and put out a bounty for my cousin. At that point I agreed with the water-bender, we needed to put a stop to this and lay low.

To help get her point across, I tag-teamed with Katara to pin Toph into submission. _Literally. _It took a lot of scrapes and cuts but I finally had control of her in a Bokator hold I had learned in my travels. I wouldn't let my cousin up until she said two things.

"Say it, mudslug!" I commanded, tightening my grip on her. "Say it!" Toph wriggled underneath me, growling and cursing.

"Fine! I'll stop with the scams!" I didn't let go of her. "I promise!"

"And?" Toph groaned and sighed dramatically.

"There is _no _way I'm saying that!" With a swift movement, I pulled her leg upwards, creating uncomfortable leverage. _The hell you aren't! _"Ow! Ow! Okay! Sokka is a sexy beast, but not as sexy as Karuna-now lemme go!" Satisfied with my work, I released my cousin and stepped back. Katara chuckled and shook her head at me.

"Was that last part really necessary?" I responded with a lopsided grin and shrugged my shoulders. Toph pouted and crossed her arms.

"No one says a _word _to ponytail about this...especially not you Sugar Queen!"

Katara wanted to prove that she wasn't a total buzz-kill so she and Toph worked out a plan for one last scam. It was a great idea, but the whole thing went terribly wrong. The metal man from the week before had made an arrangement with the town guards. Toph had been thrown into a wooden cell and soon after, Katara and I were thrown in there as well. It was a trap for Aang and we were the bait.

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna shoot you in the face, Katara!" I bit back as I sulked in the corner of the cell the three of us now resided in. Technically it was hers <em>and<em> Toph's fault for getting us in this situation. Now, Aang and Sokka would have to come into town because they'd eventually figure out something was wrong and then they'd fall in the clutches of our pursuer. *"Twice! Me. _By myself. _One Catapult. One projectile. All day! Every day!" The water-bender just stared at me with wide, frightened eyes and began to scoot towards the opposite corner.

"Why can't you ever threaten me with something pleasant?" She complained. Toph hit the wooden bars of the cell with her fists.

"Because it wouldn't be a _threat _then, sweetness."

Feeling the pressure from me and my cousin, the Water Tribe girl quickly discovered a solution to our problem. Using the sweat from her body, she manipulated the moisture to hack through the wood which contained us. I could have easily burned us out by fire-bending, but I remained true to my vow that I would never fire-bend. I wasn't about to break it anytime real soon.

When we broke out of the jail, the boys had come to the rescue, just how I had predicted. There was just one issue; _they _were the ones in need to rescue. The two were on the run from the metal man. Sokka had decided to name him Combustion Man because the former 'Sparky Sparky Boom Man' was just too long. Frankly, I thought it was foolish to be having that kind of discussion in the heat of an attack. But that's kind of how our group operated.  
>There was a decent amount of destruction left behind, but we made it out of there alive...barely. It was then that we knew this man meant business. He knew exactly who we were and would most likely stop at nothing to end us. How could he have known Aang was the avatar? "Ugh." Aang let out a deep sigh once we were safely flying away on Appa. The boy was resting his body from the big fall he had taken just a few minutes earlier. "How many weeks until the invasion?" He inquired.<p>

"Four more." Sokka informed him. Aang groaned and flopped back down. He was exhausted as were we, but there was still so much more that needed to be done; we couldn't throw in the towel just yet.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe the girls wanted to stay behind." Sokka expressed for the third time that morning. Aang and I followed him towards the train station which was on the outer part of the town, Gayatri. I munched on some fire flakes I had bought when we passed through the market in town and every once in a while, the avatar would snatch a handful from me.<p>

"Well Katara just wanted to relax today and Toph is being her usual lazy self. It's nice though-Appa's usually lonely when we're all gone for the day." The air-bender scooped up another handful from the pouch I held. I yanked the bag away but not soon enough.

"Geez Aang! You might be as hungry as a gorilla-goat, but you don't have to eat all my snacks!" Momo promptly stuck his face in the pouch after I had just gotten done scolding Aang. "Eh, never mind."

Sokka was the most excited when the train pulled into the station. The boy was very interested in new types of transportation and technology and was anxious to observe the train. Unlike the one in Ba Sing Se, the train was on wheels and ran on coal as a source of fuel. The exterior reminded me of the steel monster which had chased us back in the Earth Kingdom months ago. "As much as I'm loving these little field trips are, Sokka, we've gotta start thinking about the bigger picture. Aang still needs a fire-bending teacher. There's no excuse as to why we haven't started looking-there are plenty of ash-makers here." The warrior boy was hardly listening to me.

"Plenty of whats?" He asked me to repeat myself. The confusion wasn't just because he wasn't paying attention; he simply wasn't familiar with the lingo I used.

"_Fire-benders." _I clarified. "It's an Earth Kingdom term." Sokka nodded his head at me.

"We've still got some time. We'll find one eventually." The warrior boy didn't seem to concerned or worried with the matter. I guessed he was right though. Summer was just starting. Aang was a fast learner too so even if we didn't find a teacher for a month or two it wouldn't be the end of the world...or would it?

Aang had wandered off over to a small girl who stood in line waiting to board the train. Her brown hair was in two pig-tails and in her hands she clutched a stuffed komodo-rhino. She looked between the ages of five and seven; pretty young to be out and about in these parts alone. "Hi, I'm Aang." He introduced himself. "You look like you could use some company."

"My name is Sho." She replied in a high pitched voice. "I'm going to visit my grandma, but my mom is sick. I have to go by myself now." Poor thing. She seemed intimidated by the crowd and scene.

"Well, how about we ride the train with you?" Aang offered, looking back at Sokka and I to see if it was okay. I thought it was a nice and considerate idea; that way the little girl didn't have to travel alone. Sokka was absolutely thrilled.

"I can check out the inside of the train now!" He was as excited as a Fire Nation boy at the Dragon Boat Festival. But more importantly, it cheered the little girl up.

"I'd like that." She expressed to us.

We boarded the train with Sho a few minutes later. Sokka had a field day. The boy painted to all the odds and ends, exclaiming, "What's this for? Ohh! I wonder what that does! And this!" I dragged the ecstatic boy out of the aisle and over to where Aang and Sho picked out our seats. They were made of wood but the part which was actually sat upon was cushioned and very comfortable. I sat down next to Sho and the boys sat across from us. The inside of the train was a very similar set up to the one in Ba Sing Se. The only real difference was the materials of the interior. Though we were right beside her, Sho glanced around nervously. Aang sensed her anxiety immediately.

"My friend, Gyatso, once taught me a trick to help me feel better whenever I was nervous or scared. First you gotta close your eyes." The little girl did as instructed. "Then you take deep breaths and think about your absolute favorite animal. A komodo-rhino, right?" He asked, taking note of her stuffed animal. She nodded, eyes still squeezed shut. "See? The train isn't so scary now." The little girl opened her eyes and grinned. It was very sweet how kind and patient Aang was being with her. I knew the air-bender was a sensitive guy, but I didn't know he was good with kids. It brought a smile to my face. The avatar had told me much about Monk Gyatso, and just from the stories I could tell he was a wonderful teacher.

Then, the little girl's eyes darted around and she leaned in close to us. "Some of the people still are though." She whispered. "Do you know why someone would have a weird symbol on their head?" _Damn it, Aang! _The Air Nomad instantly began adjusting his headband.

"Oh, uh this? This is just..." But the cloth had been concealing his arrow the entire time. I soon realized that the young girl wasn't talking about Aang. I followed her gaze up to the entrance of the car we sat in. A hulking figure marched through the threshold, shoving the ticket master aside with a large _metal _arm. The man's tunic exposed his chest, revealing rock-hard muscles. A vertical trapezoid and red markings were upon his forehead. There was no mistaking it. It was none other than Combustion Man.

"Aang!" I hissed at the boy to get his attention. "C-man is on the train." The volume of my voice was low so it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention to us. The avatar looked dumbfounded. He probably hadn't heard me over the train's whistle just then.

"What?"

"C-man is on the train!" I spoke a bit louder through gritted teeth. Aang's light gray eyes widened and he slowly turned his head to the side. I kicked his leg gently. "Stop it! Don't turn around!" I harshly whispered. But the boy had already caught a glimpse of our stalker. "Everyone just lay low, okay?" We slowly slid down in our seats so we wouldn't be noticed.

"He must have seen us at the station and followed us!" Sokka made the connection.

"We've gotta get out of here before he sees us. Things could get ugly." _BOOM! _The seats diagonal from us went up in flames. A wooden plank went flying overheard. It was a little too late to split now. Aang bravely separated himself from us. The avatar knew hiding wasn't worth risking the lives of others on the train. "You don't have to hurt all these people. It's _me _you want!" _KABOOM! _Sokka and I shielded Sho as Combustion Man took out a chunk of the train's side. All the glass from the windows shattered and littered the car floor. In a minute, what had been perfect and right had been undone. Sokka yelled across the way to the ticket master.

"The train's gonna jump the rails! You need to stop it!" Because of the damage, we were all in severe danger. The ticket master pulled away from the call-pipe.

"I think we're actually going _faster! _And the engineer isn't responding!" That was not a good sign. Both the train and Combustion Man needed to be stopped and as soon as possible. The boys and I looked at one another.

"I'll go and try to stop the train while you guys take care of Sparky!" Sokka instructed, getting ready to make a mad dash to the engine car.

"I thought we voted that name off." I said, but Sokka was already on the move.

"Sho, stay here with Karuna. I have to take care of this." The avatar ordered. "Remember the breathing exercise I showed you, okay?" The little girl nodded her head and squeezed her komodo-rhino tight. The air-bender then turned to me. "Keep her safe." I nodded at him. _You got it. _

Aang and Combustion Man battled in the train car while I comforted Sho on the sidelines. I was surprised that there was still _a _train car after the first few minutes. The small girl hugged me around my waist. "Why is he trying to hurt Aang?" She whimpered into my uniform. She gazed at the fight with wide, bronze colored eyes. I held her close and did my best to console her.

"I don't know, sweetheart. There's just some bad people in the world; some who don't know right from wrong."

Combustion Man drew back his arm and then drive it down towards Aang. The air-bender jumped high into the air as our attacker's metal fist pounded into the floor of the train car. _SMASH! _The avatar pushed off of Combustion Man's head with his foot and soared through the hole that had been blown through the side of the train. _Smart move, Aang! _By doing this, the Air Nomad was trying to draw Combustion Man away from the innocent civilians.

Sho was absolutely terrified once this had happened. She gasped and began to cry after Aang flew out of the train. Before I could convince her that he was alright, he popped up right outside the window, riding on his air-scooter. "Deep breaths, Sho. Don't forget the technique!" He encouraged before hovering on ahead. Sho was relieved and amazed.

Upon hearing heavy footsteps, I whirled around. Combustion Man was inhaling deeply and focused entirely on us. _Shit! _He sucked in his guy and once the beam sprouted from the metal man's forehead, I dived across the car with Sho in my arms. Another set of seats was destroyed and wooden splinters were sent everywhere. One grazed the corner of my eye and I thanked the spirits it didn't penetrate. I landed on my shoulder blade on the floor, but Sho was okay. I quickly picked us up and retreated back a little. The pain in my left could be ignored for now; I had to keep protecting the little girl. We were in a predicament now; Sho and I resided in one of the corners of the car and there was nowhere to run or hide. Combustion Man ran at us. I had little time t think.

"Jump on my back!" I told Sho. The girl didn't need to be told twice. She climbed up and wrapped her arms around my neck tightly while still holding onto her stuffed animal. Combustion Man threw a powerful and deadly punch at my midsection, but I was ready and jumped a split second earlier. I brought my legs up into the horizontal splits. I swore, that man was this close to crotch-socking me. As gravity brought me back down, I grabbed a hold of his metal arm. I then brought my legs in and kicked him in the face Jackelope style. This gave me just enough time to escape. With Sho still hanging for dear life, I slipped out the window, grasped the edge of the roof and swung us up on top.

Combustion Man was hot on our trail. An angry scowl was upon his bearded face. I was a sure target now that I had agitated him. The attacker aimed for my feet and I barely had enough time to pivot out of the way before a hole was blasted into that part of the roof. Sho was still on my back and I started to panic, but help was on the way.

Aang ran towards us from the top of the engine car to face the metal man. The two duked it out some more and it looked like the avatar didn't need my assistance this time around. I slid across the steel roof covering and flipped down through another window. I landed with Sho back in the damaged train car. "You okay, dear?" I asked her once she slid off my back. She nodded very quickly and I assumed she was still a bit shook up. The next task at hand was to keep the other civilians relaxed and at ease.

"Everyone, please remain calm. We're currently handling the situation." Most of the passengers in that car were either hiding behind seats or huddling together in corners. There was a lot of nervous chatter and commotion. "It would greatly help the dilemma if all could refrain from panicking!" I raised my voice so that I could be heard over the fighting and roar of the train. "I _know _this is a difficult and terrifying time for all of us, but you must be strong. We're doing everything in our power to ensure your absolute safety. We need to keep a level head as we face this crisis. If we can do that, then I promise you, it will soon be over." One by one, the passengers lent their ears to me. The initial fear seemed to vanish in mere moments.

"You just have to relax." Sho added from at my side. "Take deep breaths and imagine there's a giant komodo-rhino that won't let anything hurt you!" She held out her stuffed animal to show the other passengers.

"Can it be a giant meer-penguin instead?" One man spoke up from the group. "They're really cute!"

I don't know how Sokka did it, but he figured out which lever activated the emergency break. The boy had a knack for tinkering around with advanced technology and advances. However he managed to do it, he saved us all. The train screeched to a halt on a bridge which overlooked a lake. Aang used the water to his advantage and knocked Combustion Man of the roof with an enormous tidal wave. Our stalker was thrown into the lake and didn't come back for round two. We stayed to help evacuate the train and make sure everyone was alright. After that, Aang called Appa with his Sky Bison whistle and the gang and I took Sho to her grandma's house by air.

* * *

><p>"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. OooooOOo! It came into the torch light...and they <em>knew...<em> the blade of Wing Fun was haunted!" The four of us stared up at the Water Tribe boy who had drew his sword and was wailing for effect. I stiffed a laugh from the other side of the campfire. The gang and I found a large forest to stay in which would be perfect for concealing Appa. Ever since dusk, we had been chatting and telling ghost stories by the light of the fire. So far, they had been more pathetic than spooky.

"I think I liked the sword for a hand better." Aang critiqued.

"Water Tribe slumber parties must suck." Toph bluntly stated. I felt kind of bad ripping on Sokka's stories. _He _seemed to think they were good. "Karuna knows some good ones." This was true. I had heard many stories and variations of tales in both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Some weren't as scary as others, but I knew mine would beat the pants off of Sokka's.

"I don't know guys." I started to tease them. "You're kind of a bunch of pansies."

"Are not!" Sokka objected. I raised my hands up in mock surrender. Katara spoke up.

"Fine then. I'll tell one. And it's a true Southern Water Tribe story. One winter, when mom was a little girl, a snow storm buried the whole village for weeks..." The water-bender began her tale. It involved her mother encountering a frozen ghost girl. I wasn't scared but the way Katara told the story was very convincing. The others were hooked. "Neenie's house stands empty to this day, but sometimes people see smoke coming up from the chimney...like little Neenie's still trying to get warm." I had to admit the girl was good at story telling. Sokka had hid behind a large tree root and peered over it cautiously. Aang had wrapped Momo's ears around his own and I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the two. Toph didn't appear to be very frightened; we'd heard enough Earth Kingdom ghost stories to build up an immunity to them.

"That was pretty eerie, Katara." I gave her props. "But have you ever heard Fire Nation horror stories?" I raised an eyebrow. Katara and Sokka shook their heads. This seemed to spark Toph's interest. Aang gasped and turned to me.

"No! Kuzon told me _one _and that was enough for me!"

"Oh lucky you, you get to hear two now." I replied in a sarcastically perky tone. " I heard this one in passing, and it's supposedly based off of some true events. But you'll have to tell me what you think." In reality, I had heard it at a sleepover party years ago in the Fire Nation. ****"**There was a girl named Ami who was walking home through the woods- a lot like these actually." The four glanced around quickly and pretended not to be phased. "The only light provided was by the moon, and she soon came across three bags. Bags in the middle of the woods. How strange. They were just laying there next to some logs. Curiosity was burning inside of Ami and she began to untie the knot at the top of one.**"**

"Don't open it!" Sokka whispered to the fictitious character I spoke of.

**"**Once the mouth of the bag was open, Ami gagged and let the contents drop to the ground. It was the dead, contorted body of a young girl. The sight was indeed horrible; the girl's pale skin was dirty and cold, and her leg was bent in such a way that it was parallel to her face." I thought Katara was going to throw up then. "Ami leaned forward to get a closer look at the corpse..._"Don't go home!" _The dead girl suddenly turned her head up and came to life!**"** As I said the line, I twisted my neck in a similar fashion. Aang let out a small, frightened gasp.

**"**Ami ran as fast as she could to her house on the she made it back to her home, she had a vision of a terrible accident which had happened the year before. A horrible fire in the stable had burned most of the land on that side and taken her mother's life. Her father was going to re-marry. The lucky lady happened to be the mother's old care-taker; before the accident, her health was already declining. This didn't sit well with Ami or her sister, Ino. Neither girl liked their father's bride to be. She was pretentious, phony and gave them a bad vibe. The two were determined to prove it was she who had started the fire. Their father was wealthy and the woman was most likely after his money.  
><strong>"<strong> Desperate for some evidence, the girls snooped around their hometown, trying to see if they could prove their claim to be true. Their father's fiance seemed to be just alright in front of other people, but there was another side to her that only the girl's saw. They learned from some merchants in town that there had been a deranged woman who committed several murders in the past. Her victims had been children and she disposed of them by stuffing their bodies into bags-**"**

"Eww, this is really gross." Katara interrupted me. Toph shut her up pretty quickly.

"Let her finish, sweetness!" I nodded in approval to my cousin who grinned impishly. Then, I continued the story.

**"**The girls' father left town for a few days and they stayed at home with their almost step-mother. On one of the nights, they decided it was then that they would alter the town guards and authorities. Ami and Ino tried to sneak of their house but their father's fiance knew of their plan and stopped them. The confrontation grew violent and resulted in Ino getting stabbed with some kind of sedative. The older sister told Ami to leave without her, but the girl blacked out.  
><strong>"<strong>When she woke, Ami was laying on the floor in her room and her father's fiance rummaged through drawers furiously. Ami glanced to her right and saw a kitchen knife underneath her nightstand. All of her joints ached, but she reached out and tried to grasp the weapon. She glanced back to see if the woman had noticed her consciousness. Their father's fiance finally pulled something out of the drawer; a white nightgown. In the door,way, she could see her sister creep up stealthily. Ino, put a finger to her lips and that was the last thing Ami saw before she faded again.

**"**The girl opened her eyes to find that she was still in her room, only she lay on her bed. Her father's bride to be was nowhere in sight. Neither was her sister. She glanced down and saw that the knife was missing from underneath the nightstand. Ami stood up frantically and exited her room. There was a trail of..._blood _that began on the beige carpet. Only one of two things could have occurred. Bracing herself for the worst, Ami followed the stains all the way down the stairs and out of her house. The red trail led out on the grass to a bag similar to the ones she found in the woods a while back.**"**

Sokka chewed away at his nails violently, and Momo's ears now covered Aang's eyes. Katara stared at me wide eyed, waiting in anticipation for what would happen next. My cousin was enjoying every minute of the story and anxiously listened to the climactic moment.

** "**Ami was afraid to open it, but she had to see for herself who the victim had been. The girl shrieked once she saw the mangled and distorted body of her father's fiance. The woman's eyes were still wide open in fear. She backed away in terror. She preferred this outcome to the other, but the reality of it was still ghastly. "It was the only way, Ami." Her sister Ino stood behind her, red stains ran down the front of her white nightgown and the kitchen knife was in her hand. "We had to."  
><strong>"<strong>The girls' father returned home shortly after and saw his daughters distraught and alone outside in the middle of the night. After observing their dirtied and stained attire he asked what in the world had happened. "It was Miwa, father!" Ami accused the fiance. "She was trying to get rid of us, so we..." She trailed off and looked to her older sister for help. "Tell him, Ino!" Her father glanced at her in confusion. He didn't seem to comprehend the situation. "Tell him!" "He's not going to listen, Ami. He never listens." Was all Ino said in response. Ami was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to do then. Her father's face soon became very grim.

**"**You remember what happened to your sister..." The father began as calmly as he could. "She died in the fire, one year ago." Ami gasped and shook her head in disbelief. Surely this wasn't so. He had to have been lying. "Ino is _dead!" _He shouted at her. It was then that Ami realized she was alone. Her sister was not beside her anymore. She glanced up at her father with scared, lost eyes. "What have you done?" He demanded. Feelings of denial and horror overcame Ami. She ran from her father and down to the waterside. Her mind kept replaying the night of the stable fire over and over. In the lake, she could see her reflection; her white nightgown was soiled with blotches of blood and grime and in her hand she clutched the kitchen knife...**"****

"Whoa...mind-fuck!" Toph gasped in both awe and glee. I was a little shocked to hear such language from a 12 year old, but she did have a foul mouth so it kind of was expected. Sokka and Aang were shaking in their roots and Katara looked pretty disturbed.

"It is said that Ami went insane from the trauma. She walks the woods at night; blade and burlap sack in hand- becoming the very monster she accused her father's fiance of being."

Toph suddenly sat up quickly and placed her palm to the ground. "Oh my gosh, guys! Did you hear that?" Instantly, the other three clung to one another in a jittery mess. "I hear people under the mountain, and they're _screaming!" _Sokka was the first to calm down.

"Pff, nice try! You two plan this out ahead of time?" The warrior boy glanced from me to my cousin.

"No, I'm serious." Toph replied, which worried me. "I hear something." Her other senses were usually quite accurate and atoned for her lack of vision. I couldn't imagine she was pulling a prank on us because she really sounded spooked.

"Alright, now I'm _really _scared." Aang's teeth chattered. Katara whirled around and stared at the trees behind her.

"I hear something back that way!" She pointed within seconds. Aang and Sokka both hid behind the root the Water Tribe boy had taken refuge behind earlier and were both trembling. It was obvious that neither one would partake in an investigation if asked. _Such heroic lads, _I sarcastically remarked in my head. "Karuna, will you go with me to check?" I'll admit I was a tad nervous but I certainly wasn't a pansy like the boys. I stood up and walked over to the water-bender.

"Well, they sure as heck aren't up to it. You three stay together." I ordered before disappearing through the trees with Katara. As we left, I could hear Toph muttering.

"Baldy and snoozles are the first to go...dun dun dun."

There was almost no light now that we were about ten yards away from the campfire. The forest felt kind of creepy after hearing all the ghost stories. My sword was drawn, just in case we ran into any unfriendly creatures. Katara clutched my arm tightly as we continued to advance further into the woods. I tried my best to console her and myself.

"Everything's fine. I bet Toph's just screwin' around with us like usual. I mean, how can people be _under_ a mountain?" Katara stopped and let go of me. On her face was an impish smirk.

"You really thought I was scared?" My jaw dropped a little. The girl had gone from looking terrified to calm and collected in mere moments. _What in Agni? _

"But you were shaking! You glued yourself to your brother and Aang two minute ago! _You _were the one freaking out because you heard something!" Katara made sure we were well away from the camp before responding.

"I made that up." I did a double take. She had done what now? This baffled me.

"You what?"

"I didn't hear anything at all." She admitted. _What is she thinking? She's nuts-that's it! Absolutely bonkers! _

"Katara, are you insane?" I actually wanted her to answer my question. "Why would you pretend to hear something?"

"Relax, we're benders. We can protect ourselves if need be. I just wanted to talk a walk with you without them." The bending part might have been true but the water-bender was missing the point. I also didn't understand why she felt the need to take a stroll at this particular time.

"You obviously don't know the rules of survival in these settings." I remembered being taught the "essential" guidelines for horror story-like situations by neighbor kids when I was younger. Katara chuckled and crossed her arms.

"Enlighten me."

***" **Rule #1:** _Never _go off on alone. **Rule #2:** If you _do _go off alone, _never _go in the woods.

**Rule #3:** If you _do _go in the woods, never ever _ever, _make out in the woods. Or you will _die _in the woods!"

Katara blinked.

"Technically we're only breaking rule #2." She pointed out, enunciating certain syllables more so than others.

"Yes..." I agreed, realizing she was correct in this observation.

"So far."

"Wait what?" _Dust my ears deceive me? _My inside stirred.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all." The Water Tribe girl coolly played it off.

"Huh?" I reacted stupidly. Katara put her hand to her face.

"My stars, you are so oblivious!"

"'My stars?'" I repeated her. I had never heard if before and the phrase intrigued me. Katara only groaned in aggravation.

"You don't get it, do you?" The frustrated water questioned me. _What in the world is she yappin' about? _I didn't know there was anything _to _get. I shook my head.

"Katara, what are we even talking about here?"

"Why do you think I do the things I do?" I was baffled as to what direction this conversation was going in. I still was quite confused on the reason she dragged me out here in the first place.

"You mean why you act like an overbearing mother to Sokka and Toph? I think it's because-" The Water Tribe girl shot me a look which silenced me. Though Katara was a sweet girl, she was not a force to be reckoned with when pissed.

"Why do you think I spend so much time with you? Why I'm always near you? Why I took you out here?" That was a no brainer. I wondered why she asked me questions like these.

"Because I'm your friend." I answered her. In the back of my head, I was slowly beginning to understand but another part of me prohibited me from coming to an epiphany; I think it was the rational part of me that tried to overlook this moment and emotion. Butterflies started forming in my stomach.

"Yes, but..." The darker skinned girl muttered under her breath and stared down at the forest floor. She looked around wildly and it seemed as if she was contemplating. One would have thought she was making an extremely tough decision. "I just...ugh, screw it!"

She placed her hand on the back of my neck and pulled my head into hers. It caught me off guard once her lips collided with mine. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. I had kissed only a few others in such a way and each moment was different and distinguishable in some way. Womens' lips were much softer than mens' and I had figured this out a couple of times, but Katara was different. When she kissed me, I felt like a broken part of me had found its way back. Each second I stayed lip-locked with the water-bender, the more she seemed to be piecing me back together. The tenderness and spontaneity of the kiss caused a tingling sensation in my body. Katara then pulled back and even though it had only been just a sliver of a moment, it felt like forever.

"_Now _do you get it?" Her beautiful blue eyes stared into me, waiting to see how I would react. There were a hundred different things I wanted to say but I couldn't seem to get the words out of my mouth.

"I-"

"Girls! Are you okay?" Aang's voice rang out through the trees in the direction of the camp. Katara looked a little peaved off but her expression soon softened.

"Everything's fine! We're heading back now!" She called out to him to let him know it was all just dandy. I knew we had to regroup with the others but I wanted to stay there and figure out what was going on between the Water Tribe girl and I. I didn't know she felt that way about me, and I'll admit that I had thought about her in a similar way before. Where would we go from there? The water-bender started to turn away.

"Katara, wait. We need-"

"We can't about this now. We have to go back." It irked me that I would have to rejoin the others and pretend that everything was normal-that nothing had happened at all between Katara and I. I put on my best poker face once we approached the campfire.

"Oh good!" Sokka sounded very relieved. "You two are alive!" He sat close to Toph and Aang by the fire.

"You would have avenged our deaths, right Sokka?" Katara teased the pansy warrior. The darker skinned boy thought about the question for a short while.

"Well depending on the circumstances...quite possibly, maybe."

"Ouch. I'll remember that, boomerang." I vowed.

"So did you guys find anything?" Aang inquired, glancing at both the water-bender and myself.

"Nope. Nothing. Turns out Katara's hearing is just as bad as her jokes." The girl rolled her eyes at me and pretended to laugh. I had to keep up with the banter otherwise the others would know something was off. "What did one wall say to the other wall?" I tried mimicking her voice.

"I'll meet ya at the corner!" Toph beat everyone to the punch. It was a riddle she had loved ever since she was a little child.

"Hey, that one was pretty good." Sokka admitted. Pretty soon, we all started laughing. Not because it was particularly funny, but because of the sheer simplicity of the riddle. It was as if we'd never been scared at all.

"Hello children." An unknown voice sliced through the barrage of giggles. Toph shrieked and grabbed onto Sokka for protection. Aang grabbed hold of the warrior boy and my cousin, and Katara jumped into my arms. Out of the darkness, an elderly woman emerged with long white hair. "Sorry to frighten you." She apologized. "My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?"

I was personally spooked by her sudden appearance, but the offer was friendly and inviting. After sleeping the hard ground for so many nights in a row, it was hard to turn down a sweet deal like this. "Yes please." Sokka squeaked.

The five of us followed the old woman to where her inn was located at the base of the mountain. It felt great to be staying indoors again. We sat with Hama in the kitchen and she poured us all a cup of hot tea. "Thank you for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn." Katara showed her gratitude.

"Aren't you sweet." Hama smiled warmly and her and the water-bender beamed. _Not when she's angry! _I laughed internally. "You know, you should be careful." The old woman stared down at her cup of tea. "People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in. I saw the smoke from your campfire and thought I should warn whoever was there." No. No way. She couldn't be serious. Was she for real? _Oh boy. _If so, it meant we were practically living in a horror story. I gulped down my tea a bit too quickly. For a second it felt like I had burned my throat.

"What do you mean, 'disappearing?'" I asked.

"When the moon is full, people walk in and they don't come out...who wants more tea?" She suddenly changed her grim tone and stood up with the kettle in hand. We stared back at her with wide eyes. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here." The old woman reassured us. "Now why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good nights rest?"

The rooms upstairs were very spacious and accommodating. We'd all have our own bed to sleep in, and hopefully I wouldn't have to hear Sokka's snoring/drooling. The boys each got their own room on the left of the hallway and the girls and I took the ones on the right. "Sleep tight, kids." Hama bid us goodnight and retreated back down to the first floor. Everyone said goodnight to each other and I waited until the guys and Toph had disappeared into their rooms before snatching Katara.

"You! Get in here, now!" I pulled the water-bender into my room with stellar speed and shut the door. I didn't know how thick or thin the walls were in the inn but I wanted to make sure this conversation stayed as private as possible. What's going on?"

"With what?" She asked innocently, after gathering her bearings. It was definitely not the time to play coy, I wished the girl understood that.

"With you and me-the woods!"

"I'm pretty sure you can put two and two together." The darker skinned girl retorted. "I thought we had gotten past that."

"Yes, but it's just..." I paused to think. "Why me? I mean, why not somebody else? Like, uh...that Haru guy Sokka mentioned before, or...Suki! Yeah, her! She's smart, witty, attractive, kick-ass-"

"You got a thing for Suki now?" Katara gave me a weird look. That wasn't what I meant at all.

"_Sokka's _got a thing for Suki!" I clarified. The water-bender looked at me as if I was mentally insane and/or disturbed.

"I know...that's why they're dating..." _Stupid brain! _I sighed and put my head in my hands. It had been a very long day and it was going to be an even longer night if I didn't get this straightened out.

"I don't even know what I'm trying to say anymore." Katara came closer and put her hands on my shoulders.

"This is exactly why," she began to answer my initial question. "Because you're so incredibly cute. When you have moments like these, I can't stop laughing or smiling-it's the same every time I'm near you. And you have this personality that brings people together; I can't even begin to describe it. You're exactly everything you said about Suki and more. I like that, and I like _you." _I felt myself begin to blush. She really felt that way? She really thought all that about me? It made my insides soar. "I don't know if the feeling is mutual, but I just felt like you should know." I took the water-bender's hands and held them in mine. I'd secretly been hoping for this to occur between us regardless of what I thought my priorities were. Since we had first reached Ba Sing Se, in fact. But there were still some issues and that would hinder us.

"It's not that I don't share the same feelings for you Katara, I really do. Altogether you're this amazing and beautiful person. Forget the avatar, _you're _the one who's gonna save the world." I laughed. A shade of pink colored the darker skinned girl's cheeks. "But the timing isn't exactly convenient. There's a huge war going on and we're caught in the middle of it. Do you honestly think _now _is a good time to start a relationship?" Katara glared at me skeptically with narrowed eyes.

"Sokka and Suki."

"This is true."

"Smellerbee and Longshot."

"Point taken."

"I can keep going."

"Alright, alright! I get it!" I surrendered. "I'm just wondering whether it's a good idea to be so open about this. What about Aang?" The Air Nomad had had a crush on Katara for a long time. I first noticed it once Toph and I joined the team but it probably traced back farther than that. Katara didn't seem phased by my question.

"What about him?" She made a face of confusion. _Oh. _She was obviously still oblivious to the fact that Aang secretly admired her. This could very well bring up problems later on. I quickly started talking again so that she wouldn't' wonder what I meant.

"And Sokka and Toph? How is everyone else going to feel?" Certain groups and cultures were more accepting of women/women and men/men romantic relationships than others. This included the West Coast of the Earth Kingdom and a few other locations I couldn't remember at the moment.

"They don't necessarily have to know about it, though I doubt they'd freak out much. It doesn't even have to be a traditional relationship-we can just be friends and stuff."

I rubbed my temples. "Katara, the Fire Nation term for that is 'friends with benefits,' and quite frankly the idea is asinine. If I'm going to date someone or just be with someone, it's not going to be for just the physical aspect." The water-bender pouted and gave me a pleading look because she was all out of ideas. I honestly didn't know what to tell her. "Look, my last relationship ended badly with both of us burned. I don't want that to happen again." I cared for Katara too much to risk hurting her in any way, shape or form. She placed a warm hand on my arm.

"I promise, nothing like that is going to happen to you this time." The girl vowed. I stared at the floor. _I can't promise the same to you. _I didn't have the guts to actually say it to her. The darker skinned girl held the sides of my face in her gentle hands. "I promise, Karuna." It was that moment that I gave in to the water-bender. The confidence in her voice and sincerity in her eyes won me over. I nodded without saying a word. Katara closed the space between us by bringing her lips into mine. The feelings of cleanliness and godliness returned and I wanted more.

Katara's arms were wrapped around my neck. My forearms were against her back, pulling her closer into me. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as we kept kissing. I had never felt more alive. Then, Jet's face appeared in my mind, grinning deviously. I soon began to reflect on my feelings for him which had been laid to rest along with the Freedom Fighter. The image of his dead body was what I saw next, and it caused me to cringe. The boy had never known the truth about me until he was on his deathbed. And I would never forgive myself for lying to him. I had kissed him before just like I was kissing Katara then, and I suddenly felt bothered. Then, golden eye clouded my vision. Golden eyes which showed fear, sorrow and agony. Azula. I had forgotten the way she looked at me when I announced my secession from the Fire Nation; it was utterly heartbreaking. My eyes began to water up. By being with Katara, I was betraying the princess- the girl who told me she loved me. Tears started streaming down from my closed eyes. But what effected me the most was the realization that I had lied to all three of them and nothing good came of it, yet I still continued to hide the truth.

"What's wrong?" Katara gushed as she pulled back. The girl had felt the tears and knew something wasn't right. I shook my head and tried to wipe away the the evidence with my sleeve. "Come here." She opened up her arms to me. I let the water-bender hold me and console me. She kissed the top of my head a few times while telling me it was okay repeatedly. I knew things were far from okay, but with her _maybe _ they'd be bearable. I never would have guessed this would happen at the beginning of my journey, but my heart now belonged to Katara.

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><p>I began to stir once sunlight shinned in through the window. I still rose with the sun. I felt a warm and shapely figure beside me. I turned over to the right and Katara kissed me on my forehead. She had stayed with me the whole night after all. "Good morning sleepyhead." She teased. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up. The water-bender was already dressed and her hair was perfect as usual.<p>

"Geez, Katara, it's only sunrise." I hopped out of bed and grabbed my uniform which was lying on the floor. "How long have you been up for?" I pulled the pants the pants over my undershorts and the top half over my tank. I had thought ash-makers woke during the rising of the sun; the reason I did was because I was still a fire-bender, but for the past 7 months I had solely bent earth.

"Oh, just the past half hour." The girl responded nonchalantly as she stood up and headed for the door. "C'mon. Let's go wake everyone up."

After everyone was up, whether they wanted to be or not, we went into town to help Hama with her shopping. Sokka didn't seem to appreciate being dragged out of bed bright and early to run errands in the market. Aang, Toph and I carried around baskets of fruits and vegetables because we didn't mind...well at least Aang and I didn't. Katara seemed to really be bonding with Hama. "That Mr. Yao seems to have a thing for you," the water-bender told the innkeeper as we continued to walk through town. "Maybe we should go back and see if he'll give us some free komodo sausages." The old woman pretended to be appalled.

"You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man? I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly." Hama grinned at Katara. I took a look at the different goods being sold in the town. I then noticed a merchant's stand with weapons. I gravitated toward them and dragged Sokka with me. Hanging up on a rack were swords, daggers and bows.

"You ever shoot before?" I asked the Water Tribe boy. He studied the bows and shook his head.

"Not much, not." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a block pouch. I still had a decent amount of money left from the scams we had pulled with Toph in Fire Fountain City. "Well you're going to now." I told him. "Hi, I'd like to buy the bows please." I said to the seller. The merchant took both weapons down and set them both on the counter in front of me so that I could get a better look at them. One was a recurve and the other a long bow.

" The draw weights are 35," The man pointed to the recurve. "And 55." Next he held the long bow. The weights were good. Since Sokka would be new to this, I figured he should start off with the recurve because of the lighter draw weight. "This one's also a lefty just so you know." He kept the long bow in hand. This posed as no problem to me.

"That's perfect. I'm a left handed archer." I grinned from ear to ear. The merchant smiled at this.

"That's pretty rare, most people aren't. Tell you what, if you buy two quivers I'll throw in some arrows for a reduced price." It was a deal. Arrows were very expensive because of how they were made. I wasn't going to pass up on this offer. I paid the man, thanked him and then we went on our merry way. Two-thirds of my money was gone now, but I didn't think I would have spent it anywhere else. Sokka attatched the quiver to his waistband and held the recurve bow in his free hand. I slung my quiver over my shoulder.

"Thanks," Sokka marveled at the design of his bow. "I didn't know you were into archery." He commented.

"My pleasure, ponytail. I use to do it more often a few years back." In fact, it had been Mai who had taught me how to shoot. "I wanted to get back into practice. And since you made me learn the sword with you, you're going to take up archery with me!"

Later that day, we discovered that Hama was from the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka had been snooping around the inn because he had a hunch the old woman was hiding something. We came across a small chest in the attic which contained a blue and white comb. Hama told us it was her greatest treasure and where it had come from. Katara was ecstatic once she had learned that Hama was a water-bender. After telling us her sad and painful story of her capture, Hama offered to teach Katara traditional Southern water-bending. We were all excited for her and enjoyed the rest of Southern Water Tribe meal Hama had whipped up for us. The evening ended with much laughter, story telling, full bellies and cuddling. Well, not _everyone _was cuddling. Only Katara and I did after hours.

The next day, Katara went off to learn with Hama while Aang and Toph watched me teach Sokka how to shoot effectively. "Not bad, ponytail. But don't be in such a rush." The warrior boy had gotten the gist of loading his bow but his form still needed a lot of work. I had him shoot at targets about 20 yards away because he was still beginning. Sokka had hit the tree below the actual target.

"How am I supposed to take anyone out if I don't move in a more timely manner?" He complained. I shook my head at his frustration.

"Sokka, Sokka, Sokka. You're getting ahead of yourself. In order to do this well with speed, you have to start slow and work your way up. You won't get anywhere if you ignore the basics and try to rush everything." I held the long bow with my right and drew an arrow from the quiver on my back. I shifted my body sideways, hip facing the target, and pulled back the string with my left. I pulled back so that my finger tips almost touched my mouth. I inhaled, then released. The arrow zipped through the air and planted itself on the edges of the bullseye. If I were Mai, it would've struck dead center. The girl was amazing at targeting instinctively. "Alright, first we need to fix your stance, next you've gotta pull back farther on the string." Sokka did as I instructed and didn't object when I helped reposition his arms.

"Why do _I _need to learn archery?" He whined. "I can already swing a sword."

"It'll come in handy during the invasion." I remembered the ideas of the attack he had come up with me. " If you're going to be flying on Appa, your sword isn't going to do you much good in the air." The warrior boy shot another arrow after patiently taking aim. It hit the second ring of the target. "That was better. It's all about practice, Sokka. It really is."

Aang and Toph sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking rivers and a valley. They let their feet dangle as they took in the breathtaking view. "This has got to be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation." The avatar observed. "I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here." He and my cousin were brainstorming reasons as to why people were supposedly disappearing on nights of the full moon. Toph picked her nose and shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe the moon spirit just turned mean." Upon hearing this, Sokka stopped his shooting and whirled around to face the blind girl.

"The moon spirit is a gentle and loving lady! She rules the sky with compassion! And...lunar goodness!" My cousin and Aang stared at the Water Tribe boy as if he was off his rocker. That part was true and all, but somehow he appeared stranger to them in those short moments. I would have done the same if I hadn't found he was romantically involved with the moon spirit, Yue, when she was a mortal girl. I had figured that one out when he was babbling like a mad man in the desert because of the cactus juice.

Aang retreated from Sokka and his weirdness to speak with a man who happened to be passing through the trail. The air-bender asked him if we knew anything about spirits stealing people. The man told us that the only one who saw it and lived was Old Man Ding. The other three wanted to find Old Man Ding to get some more answers. Sokka made me bring the bows and accessories back to the inn because he was too lazy to stop off there first. I told them not to wait up for me because I'd probably just stay with Katara and Hama once they got back.

I opened the panel cupboard on the second floor that Sokka had discovered the previous day. The marionettes were expertly made, but creepy to gaze upon. I wasn't even sure why I had reopened the cabinet; it had gave us all a fright the first time it was opened. I guess I was just curious to know why Hama was into collecting puppets. I soon heard the door open from downstairs and I shut the cupboard quickly to go greet them. Katara was walking through the kitchen as I entered. I went over to hug the water-bender and kissed her in the side of her head subtly.

"How are your lessons going?" I asked. The girl was all smiles.

"They're great! Hama's taught me so much more about water-bending that I haven't even thought of before! It's given me a new perspective!" The old woman then entered the room.

"Katara is quite the water-bender." She praised her pupil. The darker skinned girl glowed with pride and accomplishment.

"I know she is." I grinned at Katara who returned the expression.

"Hama's going to teach me some very advanced water-bending techniques tonight because there's going to be a full moon." Of course. Water-benders drew their power from the moon just as fire-benders did with the sun.

"That sounds exciting!" I shared her enthusiasm. "Is it alright if I tag along?" I asked them both. I didn't want to intrude on the teaching, but I had nothing else to do.

"Of course dear," Hama put a withered hand on my shoulder. "Did your friends leave you behind?" I laughed and nodded.

"Yes. They actually did. They're in town doing, spirits knows what." Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head. I knew exactly what they were doing; they were searching out Old Man Ding to get to the bottom of the mystery. For some reason, I felt liked I needed to be vague when I described their whereabouts. Hama seemed to be very happy that I asked to come with.

"Well you're more than welcome to come join us. The more the merrier. I've been meaning to ask you, are you from the Southern Water Tribe as well?" It wasn't the first time I had been asked this. Because of my tan complexion, many thought I had hailed from one of the Water Tribes. My eyes also had hints of blue in it, which seemed to be a norm for many Water Tribe people.

"I'm actually from the Earth Kingdom." I answered her. "I'm an earth-bender." The old woman seemed very surprised and delighted.

"Oh! An earth-bender! Now how about that? Two water-benders and an earth-bender living incognito in the Fire Nation." Katara and I laughed with Hama who seemed to really get a kick out of the funny coincidence. I had to admit, it was a pretty rare occurrence.

* * *

><p>I stood beside Katara in the woods as Hama appeared to be absorbing the power of the full moon. The forest was just as eerie as the when we had camped there and I wondered why the old woman had picked this spot for a lesson. "What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched Fire Nation prison." Hama spoke gravely to Katara. She told us the account of her days in the Fire Nation prison and what it took for her to eventually escape. "Blood-bending." The words rolled off her tongue and caused me to shiver. "Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything...or <em>anyone.<em>" I could tell that Katara was becoming uncomfortable. I didn't like the way this lesson was going either.

"But to reach inside someone and control them? I-I don't think I want that kind of power." The darker skinned girl resisted the temptation.

"The choice is not yours," The old woman went on. "The power exists and it's your duty to use the gifts you have been given to win this war! Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother!" The younger water-bender stared at the ground in contemplation. Hama had hit a sore spot. I reached out and grasped Katara's hand firmly.

"The Fire Nation has wronged your people, Hama, as well as mine. But we must be the bigger and better individuals. This is a conflict of morality. We can fight them another way!" I tried reasoning with the innkeeper. Surely, she would see my side of the argument. "The Fire Nation destroyed my home too."

"Then you and Katara should understand what I'm talking about, Karuna. But it is not the same for you. She and I are the last water-benders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can wherever they are by any means necessary!" It was then that something clicked inside my brain. The hatred this woman felt toward the Fire Nation tipped me off and soon I knew who the culprit was behind the vanishing civilians.

"It's you!" Katara accused, sharing the same epiphany as me. "You're the one who's making people disappear on the full moons!"

"They threw me in prison to rot! Along with my brothers and sisters! They deserve the same!" The old crone justified her actions. "You must carry on my work!"

"I won't!" Katara stood her ground. " I won't use blood-bending and I won't allow you to keep terrorizing this town!" Hama started moving her arms swiftly in unknown art forms. _Oh no! _I jumped in front of Katara to protect her and stamped my foot against the ground which sent a surface wave at Hama that knocked her down. The attack wasn't as strong as I would have normally made it; I didn't want to severely harm an elderly person, but Hama had to be stopped. I spread my arms apart to open up the ground and trap her in between, but before I could complete my action, my left arm suddenly dropped. Then my right began to twist in several uncomfortable ways. It was if I was possessed.

"You should have learned the technique before turning against me!" Hama cackled as I struggled. "It's impossible for her to fight her way out of my grasp!" The witch told Katara. "I control every muscle, every _vein _in her body!" Hama continued to move her arms in swift and tight formations. My possessed body zipped right and left across the grass. I didn't stop trying to resist, but it truly was impossibly to break from the hold. I felt my spine tighten and crack. I yelped as the force sent me to the ground. I hollered and shouted in pain as the cruel old woman continued to control and contort my body every which way. I had not felt this kind of pain before in my life.

Katara trembled and cried out, "Stop it!" She screamed at Hama. "You're hurting her! Please! Stop it!" The tears ran down her cheeks as she fell to her knees crying. Hama only laughed cruelly at her cries of pain and mine of agony. Then, the darker skinned girl rose to her feet and stared our attacker down. "You're not the only one who draws power from the moon!" She took the water from the grass and hurled it at Hama. The old witch broke her focus on me to retaliate, and I regained control of my own body. There was still a sense of numbness in my limbs, but at least I could use them to my will, not anyone else's.

Katara sidestepped and blocked Hama's attacks by reversing the direction of the water. The girl hit the on coming water with her open palm and it exploded like a watery firework back in the other direction. It was absolutely incredible. With fast movements, Katara conjured up more water from nearby plants and knocked Hama clear off her feet. After short moments, the woman began to rise again but Katara's cold, blue eyes forced her to freeze. "_**NEVER**. _Touch. My girlfriend. Again." She commanded in the most threatening voice I had heard yet. All of a sudden, Hama started to twitch and gasp as she lost control of her body. She shook and her entire body was forced back to the ground. The old woman tried desperately to fight it, but she just wasn't as strong as she once was. Soon, Hama was on her hands and knees just like Katara had been only moments ago. Katara flexed her arms, tightening the control she had on the twisted innkeeper. I had never seen the younger water-bender in such a dark state before.

Off in the distance, many people came running towards us. As they drew closer, I could make out Toph in the lead followed by Aang, Sokka and villagers. I soon discovered that they were the ones who Hama had kidnapped and threw in a prison inside the mountain. The townspeople took the old woman away in shackles, but she was determine to have the final word. "My work here is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a blood-bender."

More tears ran down my girlfriend's cheeks. Though the gang tried, Katara only let me comfort her. The water-bender sobbed into my shoulder and I held her tight all the while she cried. She had been so brave and strong tonight and that only made me desire her all the more. She was an amazing water-bender, and had saved bother our lives back there. "I love you, Katara." I mumbled into her ear.

"I love you too." She whispered back.

* * *

><p><strong>~Reference List~<strong>

*** Is a_ Kevin Hardy_ reference. The line is really : "I'm gonna shoot him in the face... TWICE... me. ..by myself...one gun...one bullet...all day...every day!"**

**** The story Karuna tells the gang is based off of the movie _The Uninvited _which was actually based off the book _The Tale of Two Sisters_**

**_*** _Karuna's rules of survival come from Gwen's rules in _Total Drama Island! :D _love that show**

**Also, the quote in the beginning is from the song "La De Da" by Evaline**

**Another interesting thing: I decided to add in the part about Karuna teaching Sokka about archery because I'm an archer- a left handed one as well :3 just fyi**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, hopefully I'll have time to continue writing this week but I have the ACT on tuesday :O and PSAE testing Wednesday and they won't let you bring anything to read or work on afterwords because they're afraid of cheating...which I totally understand...sort of. But oh well xD have a good week everyone!**


	15. The Fire Nation's Darkest Day: Part I

So far this is my favorite part of the fic to right! Just like the episode "Day of Black Sun" this WILL be a two-parter. So much tension is going on and battle scenes are my favorite to write! Hope everyone enjoys and Happy Beltaine! I couldn't participate this year -.- but oh well! Hope everyone else gets some tonight ;)...though if you're sitting here reading fanfiction I guess not...lol just kidding!  
><strong><strong> ~th3rdhal3~<strong>**

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><p>Our next destination was the Black Cliffs. It was an area Sokka and his father had carefully picked out for the rendezvous point for the invasion. The harbor down below was big enough to gather everyone who partook in the mission and it would it wasn't out in the open for many to see easily. We had arrived a few days early, but it was better than being late. The time had gone so fast; I couldn't believe that only a few months ago we had discovered about the eclipse in Wan Shi Tong's library. We had come along way and were ready for victory.<p>

We arrived on top of the cliffs at night even though the area was inhabited. The only creatures present were the koala-sheep, which were rather cute. "Four days? The invasion's in four days?" Aang flipped out when he realized how soon it was. No one else seemed phased by it. I didn't understand why Aang was so nervous all of a sudden.

Sokka collapsed on his sleeping bag and was soon snoring. The warrior boy was usually the one to fall asleep the fastest. Katara observed her brother who was out cold on the mat a few feet away. "Sokka's go the right idea. We're here, we're ready, the best thing we can do now is get plenty of rest." The water-bender laid on her sleeping bag. Even my cousin had her eyes closed on the grass across from us. Aang seemed very jittery and uneasy but he finally gave in and laid down as well. The sound of the roll of the sea down at the base of the cliff helped drown out Sokka and Appa's snoring. Surely _this _would be the best night of sleep we'd get. I waited a short while until Aang and Toph showed signs of being asleep before scooting closer to Katara. The girl rolled over so that her head rested in the crook of my neck. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! _I woke to a constant thumping sound. My eyelids slowly parted and the sun's early light greeted me. Katara stirred next to me. She looked so disoriented and confused when she sat up. Her eyelids were only half open and there was this ridiculous looking blank expression on her face. It was cute and funny at the same time. A little ways away, Aang was striking a tree with such a force it was a wonder it hadn't fallen. What the heck was doing? "Ugh...I'll go talk to him." I volunteered since I was already awake then.

"You're th-best." Katara mumbled and dropped back down onto her mat. I slowly brought myself to stand and approached the avatar.

"Aang. What on earth are you doing?" I watched the shirtless boy repeatedly hit the tree over and over again, causing it to shake.

"Training." He responded, not stopping his activity. He was extremely into it.

"How long have you been up?" I asked.

"A couple of hours." He told me, not even turning around to so much as glance at me. The boy kept punching the bark in a constant rhythm. He then circled the tree and attacked it as if it were a training dummy. "I've got a lot of skills to refine if I'm gonna fight Ozai. My form is bad, I'm sloppy and I don't know any fire-bending!" I could see how he was anxious and worried.

"Isn't that why we're doing the invasion during the eclipse? The Firelord will be defenseless." Aang paused his impromptu training routine and listened. For a moment it seemed as though he were going to relax.

"There's still a lot I need to work on, Karuna. I'm gonna spend the whole day training." Then all of a sudden, the Air Nomad took off on his air-scooter. The kid was neurotic. That was an understatement.

* * *

><p>"Sokka, you've gotta get up!" Aang tugged at the darker skinned boy's feet the next morning. "You gotta do your rock climbing exercises! In one of my dreams you were running from Fire Nation soldiers trying to climb this cliff, but you were too slow and they caught you!" Sokka did not look very happy to be woken up in such a way. The warrior boy told Aang it was only a dream and that he was a great climber. Somehow the avatar made him climb the cliff beside us to prove his claim.<p>

Toph took a swig from her canteen and then Aang startled the crap out of her. "Don't drink that!" Instantly, the pale girl spat it all out; unfortunately, Katara was on the receiving end of the spew.

"Is it poisoned?" My cousin frantically asked. Katara sighed heavily and bended the backwash off of her body.

"In my dream, we were right in the middle of the invasion, and you had to use the bathroom." The air-bender explained. "We all died because of your tiny bladder!" Toph grunted and crossed her arms. Then, Aang focused on me. "You need to be a faster shooter. In my dream, you were reloading your bow but an opposing archer shot got you first! And Katara, you need to start wearing your hair up. In my dream, your hair got caught in a train and-"

"Spirits almighty!" Katara silenced him. We all thanked her internally. "I know you're only trying to help, but you seriously need to get a grip! You're unraveling right now and we need to fix this."

"These yoga stretches can really work wonders if you do them in extreme heat." Katara had brought Aang inside a steam volcano further back on the cliff. I tagged along because I was a little stressed myself. The goal was to loosen Aang up and get him to relax. It was indeed hot inside there so the three of us wore undergarments. Katara was right; I could feel the tension leave my muscles after a few minutes. I stood on the other side of the water-bender and followed her instructions with Aang. "Reach up." She had us clasp our hands together high up over our heads. "Reach for the sun."

"Katara, if we reach any higher we might just take flight." I remarked.

"Oh hush!" She hissed at me. I guess she wasn't in the mood for my sarcasm at the moment. "Feel your chi paths clearing." She then had us bend forward to touch our heads to the Earth.

"There's this warm feeling around me." Aang reluctantly described. _You don't say. _"This heat...like I'm in the Firelord's palace and he's shooting fireballs at me! And the whole world is being engulfed in flames!" He dramatized. This was not helping him in the least bit. Katara slouched and sighed loudly.

"Maybe your stress is the kind you need to talk out." She suggested. We sent the avatar to go consult Sokka who had this alter ego perfect for counseling. While Aang went to see 'Wang Fire', Katara and I resumed our yoga.

"So," I began all perky-like as I stretched my arms out in Warrior II pose. "Looks like your Kama-Sutra didn't work." The Water Tribe girl nearly fell over at my comment. Her cheeks grew a bright pink and she gaped at me.

"This is not-it's nothing like-_why _would you even compareit to _that?" _She questioned me. _Because I can. _I laughed dryly and transitioned into Downward Dog.

"It's practically the same thing! These routines all look like sex positions." I answered her. "Don't deny it, they do!" The darker skinned girl looked a bit flustered.

"Not all of them!" She argued.

"Most of them." I compromised, maintaining my Plank formation. I could stay like that for hours really because of the muscle in my arms and shoulders. Katara lay on her stomach with her palms on the ground, parallel to her chest.

"I like Cobra." She shared. "I pretend I'm a snake." She then started hissing and tried to slither, moving her body sideways across the ground how a snake would. There was no way I couldn't laugh. She looked absolutely crazy yet adorable.

"Babe, you're nuts." I chuckled. Katara responded by making a goofy face at me.

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><p>I stared up at the clouds a little while later. I watched them move and change shape in the wind. All was quite and peaceful; mainly because Aang was still in his therapy session with Sokka aka Wang Fire and Toph was off playing with the possum-moles in the ground. The grass was so soft atop the cliff that it felt like my head was resting on a pillow. The more I gazed up above, the more I wondered why the sky was the color blue. Before I went too deep into thought, long, chocolate colored hair touched the tip of my nose and forehead. It tickled. Instead of blue skies, I was soon staring into blue eyes and the smiling face of my girlfriend. She looked upside down from where I laid. "Hey you." I grinned broadly at her. She leaned down and kissed me. It felt different at first because the kiss wasn't right side up, but it was one of the best we had shared so far.<p>

The water-bender sat down in the grass with me and I put my head in her lap. Katara ran her fingers through my hair, which felt wonderful. "The war's gonna be over soon." The girl was thinking ahead to the invasion in two days. "I can't believe it." I really was something to think about. A ware that had raged on for over 100 years was finally going to be put to a stop.

"Me neither." I agreed. "What are we gonna do then?" I joked. Our main goal this entire time was to defeat the Fire Nation. What would we do with the rest of our lives and time after that was accomplished? Katara giggled.

"I'm sure we'll find something to keep us occupied." The darker skinned girl seemed to be sure of this. "There's plenty of places we haven't seen and people to visit." Thought it felt as if we'd traveled everywhere there had to be some spots on the map we'd never been to before. I looked forward to life after the war. It wouldn't be so hectic and we'd have more time to enjoy life and take things slow. What new and exciting adventures would wait for us? Benign and peaceful ones, I hoped. Whatever lay ahead in my future, I knew it would be an interesting chapter in my memoirs. Then the water-bender asked me a question.

"Will you come with me to the Southern Water Tribe?" She stopped playing with my hair; a sign that she was taking a moment to be serious. I tilted my head to glance up at her.

"Huh?" She laughed at my confusion.

"When everything's resolved and done, will you come back to the Southern Water Tribe with me?" She repeated herself.

"But it's cold there!" I protested.

"Not, it's actually quite tropical this time of year. Lovely weather, really." The water-bender teased me. She smirked and then chuckled to herself. "Course it is, hon. It's the South Pole. I'd keep you warm though." I grinned up at her. For the next few moments, we sat in silence simply enjoying the day and the view from the top of the cliff. I began to imagine what it would be like to live in the Southern Water Tribe with Katara; snowball fights, penguin sledding. Sure, we weren't little kids anymore, but I wanted to regress to that innocence since most of us were forced to grow up faster than we should have. There would be plenty of time for that once the war was over and done. I would have to meet her family and fellow villagers then. Would she tell them about us? I guess it wouldn't be too bad, maybe a little awkward at first but I'd get over it. "Did you mean it when you said it?" The girl suddenly asked me.

"When I said what?" I didn't exactly follow.

"When you said you loved me." Instantly, I was taken back to nights ago in the woods after the fight with Hama. I remembered holding the water-bender while she wept. I had said it to her then, but now I wasn't sure if it was only in the moment or not. Katara took notice of my silence. "I'm not gonna be mad or hold a grudge if you didn't. I just wanted to know because I'm not sure if I meant it when I said it back." I didn't feel so guilty anymore after she admitted that. She and I were both confused on how much we felt for one another. We had known each other for months, but our relationship was only two weeks strong. And when it was first said we had only been dating for two days. How was that enough time to know if you loved someone or not? I sat up and faced Katara.

"You mean so much to me." I told her. "And I care about you _a lot." _I picked up the water-bender and pulled her into my lap.

"I care about you too." She twisted around to kiss me. "I'd do anything to make you happy." My heart beat hard against my chest and I was surprised Katara hadn't heard it.

"I'll always fight for you." I vowed. "Spirits, I'd kill for you." The darker skinned girl stared at me gravely in silence for a few short moments.

"I hope you never have to do that."

* * *

><p>"Ah! Aha! That tickles!" I wriggled on the sleeping mat. Katara lay on top of me and was kissing the side of my neck. We could only display this kind of affection under the cover of darkness so the others wouldn't see. She giggled.<p>

"Shh!" She whispered. She didn't want the others to wake up because we couldn't be quiet. Then she silenced me with a long kiss. My stomach did a bunch of flip flops at the sensation. I couldn't get enough of her. The water-bender was truly enticing. It was when our lips parted that I made an important decision.

"So, I have an answer for the question you asked me earlier. " The darker skinned girl sat up and was all ears now. I shifted into a cross-legged position before continuing. "Guess I'm gonna have to get used to freezin' my ass off everyday." I smirked. Katara's face lit up; I don't recall seeing her this happy or excited before. She threw her arms around my neck and tackled me. It was really hard to keep quiet now. My back was on the cool grass again and I held the ecstatic girl close to me, sharing the same emotion. She eventually sat up again, allowing me to breathe; she hadn't exactly knocked the wind out of me, but it was pretty close.

"Oh my spirits!" She squealed with glee. "This means I need to make you a parka and warmer clothes-oh! I'm going to have to teach you how to canoe and kayak, and-" The way she spoke, it sounded as if she was planning for a wedding or something.

"That's if everything goes well, Katara." I stopped the girl before she got ahead of herself. "We still have to get _through _the invasion." The water-bender's face fell at my grim tone.

"What's with the negativity all of a sudden?" She asked, wanting to know the cause of my change in tune.

"It's not negativity, it's reality. We need to embrace the fact that some of us won't come back after tomorrow." Katara's eyes were swimming with worry and sorrow. I began to feel nervous at this realization as well. "No matter what the outcome is, I can guarantee you there are going to be casualties. And I can't promise you that I or anyone else will still be standing once this is over-" My girlfriend was now in tears. I didn't mean to upset her, I just didn't want her to get her hopes up in case something unfortunate were to happen. I held out my arms to her and she grabbed onto me.

"No. I'm not gonna let you out of my sight." She buried her face into the side of my neck. "We're going to get through this. _Everyone _is going to get through this." I kissed her hair and held her tight. _I hope you're right. Spirits, I hope she's right._

_~I ran through the many rooms of the estate, looking over my shoulder to see if my cousin was still behind me. The smaller girl ran as fast as her little legs would carry her. I heard my aunt shouting to be careful from somewhere else in the mansion. I maneuvered around chairs, and couches and others who were present in the manor. My younger cousin was still chasing me and she hollered out, "Runa! Runa!" at me. I couldn't tell if she still found the game fun or was growing sad because I was still out of reach. Out from the side of the dining room table, jumped a boy slightly bigger than me. His brown hair was everywhere and needed to be cut. He had startled me, and I stopped fast._

_"I got her, Tophie!" The boy squealed with glee, grabbing me and keeping me there. "Get her!" The two began to tickle me and I squirmed on the floor. I was laughing so hard I thought I would stop breathing. My little cousin sat on my stomach and had started to poke my facial features. Her baby blue eyes were wide in wonder. I looked up at the older boy who was still giggling._

_"No fair, Rai-Rai. I get you back!" ~_

* * *

><p>I handed Sokka a cup of tea as he studied some maps the next morning. He and Katara had gone back to wearing their Water Tribe getup. Toph and I had also abandoned our Fire Nation clothes for our old ones. "Top of the morning, Momo!" Aang leaped out of nowhere and scooped up the lemur. The avatar was still wearing the school uniform, but he had ripped off the sleeves and stopped wearing the headband. The boy seemed to be in a much better mood than the past few days. It appeared as if the bed we had made for him out of koala-sheep wool had helped him rest at last. "I'm ready to fight the Firelord!" He punched the air a few times for effect. I slapped him on his shoulder, as to avoid hitting the injury on his back.<p>

"Thata boy, Aang!"

Toph and I created stone piers down below at the harbor so that the Water Tribe navy ships could anchor there. Katara ran over to greet her father followed by Sokka. "Were you able to locate everyone we told you to find?" The warrior boy asked.

"I did." Hakoda responded. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the warrior type." He made a face at his son. Behind him, were two guys clad in leaves and tree bark. _What in Agni-don't even ask. Just don't. _Soon after, Katara and Aang introduced Toph and me to their friend Haru. I had never seen a boy with such long hair before. Him and his father were earth-benders that Katara had helped inspire near the beginning of their journey. Toph had some visitors as well; The Hippo and The Boulder had decided to quit fighting for entertainment so they could fight for their kingdom instead. They were some pretty tough guys. The Fire Nation soldiers would be in for a surprise. A mild explosion occurred in one of the ships and we were then introduced to Teo and his inventor father. Teo gave Aang a new glider they had made for him. The avatar was overwhelmed with joy; his older one had burned up in a hotspot.

Then, I spotted three figures approaching us alongside Pipsqueak and The Duke. The girl in front had brown hair that was longer in the front and short in the back. Unmistakable green eyes stared at me. "Zaida!" I ran to her and embraced her. I thought I would never see this girl again, and here she was, ready to attack. Good old Zaida.

"Oh my spirits, I think you've grown another three inches!" Zaida laughed. "Either that or I'm shrinking!" The short girl joked. I was overjoyed to see the small Freedom Fighter. I had missed her company.

"Wow. Not gonna say hi to _me?" _A voice cut into the moment. I recognized it all too well. _Oh gracious. _I turned to my left to see Jin smirking next to Raiden. The bounty hunter grinned as well, and I was glad to see him in better shape than when I left them in Ba Sing Se.

"Hey guys!" I hugged them both. "We're so gonna kick some Fire Nation ass today!"

After a little while, everyone gathered in rows in front of a stone ledge in which Sokka would be addressing them. It was his plan and we felt that the warrior boy should be the one to explain the mission goal. It was an absolute train wreck. It was obvious that the boy was nervous, and because of that, his speech was rushed and choppy. His audience couldn't exactly follow and then Sokka decided to start over from the beginning. He literallymeant the beginning. It was pretty much everything that had happened in the past 8 months but thankfully, Hakoda took over so that his son wouldn't have to endure further humiliation.

Once the pep-rally ended, everyone readied themselves for the naval stage of the attack. Katara gathered plenty of water for bending later. Toph slipped on arm guards and placed an earth-bending helmet on her head. I kept the black boots from my Fire Nation uniform and put those on. I hooked my sword onto my sepia colored belt, strapped my quiver onto my back and held my longbow in my right. Even Appa was ready to go. The Sky Bison had on maroon and bronze battle armor. At the water's edge, Aang shaved off his hair with a knife and wore a rendition of his orange and yellow Nomad robes. He was ready for the world to know the avatar was alive!

As everyone began boarding the ships, Sokka handed me a wolf cowl. I put it on my head for a minute to see how it felt. The inside was warm and insulated and the tick hide would protect the wearer from most piercing attacks. I pulled it off an handed it back to him. "Thanks ponytail, but it doesn't feel right to wear this. I'm not part of your tribe."

"Not yet at least." The warrior boy chuckled. This caught me off guard. Sokka smirked at my dazed and confused expression. "Don't think I don't know." He grinned smugly. I watched him get on a ship, wondering how on earth he knew.

* * *

><p>Hakoda had Katara and the swamp-benders create a fog cover for the ships as we approached the Great Gates of Azulon. "It's not going to be enough!" I warned the Water Tribe Chief. An alarm went off and a creaking sound emitted from the bronze dragons on either side of the water entrance into the homeland. Nets connecting to the enormous statue of Azulon were soon blazing with flames. It was then time to get into the subs.<p>

"Sokka created this?" Raiden marveled at the inside of the submarine. It was a pretty brilliant invention; water-bending was used to make the sub sink and float.

"Yeah." I responded, observing the way the swamp-benders controlled the submarine. "It was all his idea. He wasn't the one who constructed it though. Obviously. It was the Mechanist."

"This plan is so intricate and thought out." Zaida praised the warrior boy, even though he, his father, Toph and Katara were in one of the other submarines. "I could have never organized it." I glanced out the window on the sides to see how Aang and Appa were doing underwater. The Air Nomad had bended on air bubble over his and the bison's head so they could sneak under the gate with us. The avatar saw me and started waving. He then made goofy faces at me. I laughed quietly. _He's still such a kid!_

We would resurface once before arriving at the beaches; this was because the submarines had a limited air supply. Until the break, I sat with my friends in the back of the sub while the Water Tribe warriors conversed in the front. The bounty hunter removed his signature white headband and replaced it with a new one I had never seen before. It was many shades of green and in the middle was a flying boar. I did a double take. "Where did you get that?" I asked him.

"Oh, this?" The spiky haired boy pointed to the elegant headband. "It's the only thing I have left from when I was a boy." He explained. "Before I knew about the war. Things were benign and perfect. My sister and I use to play outside together, when everything was still full of life and love. That was before the Fire Nation attacked my home when I was six." I instantly thought of my first memory; running. People screaming. Houses and buildings being burned to the ground. It was still terrifying to remember. I sympathized with the boy.

"That's the symbol of the Bei Fong family." I pointed out. Raiden nodded his head.

"I _am _a Bei Fong. This headband reminds me who I am and where I came from whenever I feel lost." He studied me for a moment in silence. "I'm the son of the late Han and Xia Bei Fong. I lost my sister in the attack years ago, but ever since I met you, you've inspired me to keep searching for her because I see her in you." The bounty hunter shared. "Call me crazy, but I do." My brain was working on overdrive. This epiphany that was formulating in my mind couldn't be true. I hardly even remembered Toph, let alone my birth parents from when I was that young. I must have seen someone else in my dream from the night before. There had to be a mistake or a misconception.

"Lao Bei Fong is my father's brother." Raiden looked up at me quickly and gave me a peculiar stare. Lao had only one brother. "Do you remember me at all...Rai-Rai?" I suddenly asked. I felt stupid calling the boy this, but something told me I should. Raiden's gray eyes widened in realization but he remained silent. "How old are you?" I asked a different question.

"18." He finally answered.

"I'm 15." I announced. There was a _three _year age difference. When my home had been destroyed I was three. When Raiden's home had been attacked, he was six. I could almost see the gears shifting in Raiden's mind. He raised a hand to the back of his neck. He turned so that a dark spot in the shape of a heart was visible. On cue, I pushed my hair to the side to show him my identical birthmark on the opposite side. The spiky haired teen gasped.

"Spirits...how? Where have you been this whole time?"

"I was taken in by another family that found me." I explained. Somewhat true. I left out the part about my step-father being a Fire Nation soldier. "Until two years ago, I didn't even know I was part of the Bei Fong family. Then once I found out, all the memories started coming back." Raiden was still in awe and slight denial.

"I can't believe- why didn't I make the connection before? I mean, your name! That should have been a dead giveaway. I haven't met anyone else with the same name." The boy berated himself. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't put two and two together either. But I knew you were really important because I kept having dreams and visions about you. I didn't know what they meant at the time." I shared with him. The spirits wanted us to find one another because other than Toph, we were the only family each other had.

"Spirits, you're my sister..._you're _my little sister." Raiden stated, aghast. I was still absorbing the news. I had a brother. An actual _blood _sibling. It seemed too surreal to take in. Jin shrank down in stature next to the bounty hunter.

"Well..._this _is awkward."

* * *

><p>I used up the first half of the break time because I had been in the midst of reminiscing with Raiden about our childhoods and also catching up with Zaida. I was the one who relayed the news of Jet's death to her and there was much sorrow and mourning. Before the Freedom Fighter had left for Ba Sing Se, he had put Zaida in charge of their headquarters because he trusted her the most to keep everyone else in line. We took a short amount of time to reflect on our deceased friend. Though his passing had occurred several months ago, it was still very hard for Raiden and I to keep our composure because we had witnessed the murder.<p>

My friends went up to get some fresh air while I asked the warriors in the front of the sub how much longer until we reached the beaches. One of them told me it would take no longer than 15 minutes, or so he had been told. I was then encouraged by them to take advantage of my break because we would have to submerge again soon.

I climbed up through the hatch and onto the top of the submarine. As I pulled my left leg off of the ladder, my heart stopped beating. On the submarine over, Aang stood lip-locked with Katara. _My _Katara. Something in my gut festered and my skin felt like it was on fire. I thought then and there I would reveal to them I was a fire-bender. I wanted to hurt the Air Nomad-to return everything I was feeling in this moments and more. And what about Katara? How could she do this to me? In a flash, Aang took off on his glider towards the homeland, and Katara stared after him. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was slightly open. It looked as though she was recovering from the moment. She turned and saw me standing limply on the parallel sub, broken and scarred. I knew she was wondering how much I saw based on the content in her eyes. My throat was dry and I had nothing to say to her. Not now. I started back for the hatch because I didn't want to stay up there anymore. But the real reason was because I didn't want her to see me cry.

"Karuna, wait!" Katara jumped towards my sub, using the water in between to propel herself forward. She grabbed onto my arm. "Please." I turned around sharply to face her. The girl's large, ocean blue eyes stared into my soul. I had to force myself to stop the water slides from streaming out of my tear ducts.

"Why don't you just take _him _to the South Pole then?" I coldly bit back. Before I turned away from her, I could see her eyes begin to water up. The Water Tribe girl pulled me around again.

"No, no! Honey, that was nothing! It didn't mean anything to me! I don't think of him in that way, I didn't even know he-" Katara desperately pleaded with me. "I honestly had no idea. But I don't feel the same way about Aang. I'll tell him. Once this is all over I'll set things straight-I promise!" I began to relax my body a little and the tension in my shoulders started to slowly disappear. "I don't love him. I love _you._" My heart began to pump blood again. For a split second, I forgot why I was even angry.

The water-bender cupped the sides of my face in her hands and then the warmth of her lips engulfed mine. The kiss was filled with passion and fire-ironically. The feeling was complete bliss, similar to that of achieving nirvana. We could have been like this for only a few moments or a few minutes; time was an illusion. Once our lips parted, there was no way in Agni that I was gonna let her go. I wanted to hold her, to have her close to me forever. Suddenly, the hatch on her submarine creaked and Sokka popped his head up.

"Guys, what are you doing? It's time to submerge!" Upon his arrival, she and I both stepped back from one another to avoid any suspicion. The moment had been wonderful, but we couldn't forget that we were in the middle of warfare.

Katara, still blushing, snapped back to focus. "R-Right! We're on it!" The Water Tribe boy nodded and then disappeared back into his sub. Katara sighed heavily and looked up at me. "This is it." A discreet frown was upon her beautiful face. "Please be safe." She kissed me on my cheek quickly. Then the water-bender jumped from my sub to hers, and finally to Appa, using the sea as stepping stones. I scurried over to my sub's hatch and hoped in right before we went under again.

As we drew closer and closer to the beaches, Hakoda prepared the warriors for the land stage of the attack. All the earth-benders were instructed to get into tanks. I did not join them because I preferred to fight my opponents head on. Besides, Toph could lead her squadron fine on her own.

We received fire immediately, once the submarines reached land. The tanks were sent out quickly and my ground and I joined the Water Tribe warriors alongside the earth-benders. There were many explosions coming from up above on the walls. One hit very close to my friends and I. If Zaida hadn't been so nimble and fast, she would have been blown sky high. The Fire Nation had tanks of their own to face ours. The swamp-benders held their own against the machines pretty well. The vine-bender, Yu, did some serious damage to the Fire Nation tanks.

"Dad, look out!" Sokka hollered from atop the komodo-rhino he had just acquired. The Water Tribe chief was bravely fending off a fire-bender and three other soldiers. The man blocked the flames as best he could with his shield. I offered up my help and took care of the fire-bender with a swift kick to his temple. Raiden drew one of the soldiers away from Hakoda so that it was more of an even fight. Sokka's father fought the other two soldiers with ease. The man was real warrior.

The Fire Nation soldiers didn't pose a real threat to me, so I fought them off with my sword alongside Jin, who went to town with her nunchucks. I heard something zipping through the air, and I looked up just in time to see a projectile hurtling towards my comrade. I yanked Jin back by the back of her gi collar, moments before the ground she once stood upon exploded. It was a very close call.

"We've gotta take out those battlements!" Hakoda encouraged us. "They're going to destroy the tanks and everyone here down below!" The Water Tribe leader was right; the ramparts up above just kept on firing down at us. We'd never make it to the palace or even the mountain side unless we took them out. Soon after, Sokka, Hakoda and I flew with Katara on Appa. The warrior men clung to the side of the bison's armor but I stayed in the saddle. With quick and accurate precision I fired arrows from my long bow at the soldiers inside the ramparts. All that I targeted went down. Sokka held onto Appa's horn and as we flew closer to the battlements, the boy cut clean through the crossbow that were positioned on the rampart walls. We also lit small explosives and threw them into the other battlements that lined the tall walls. The constant bombing began to cease but there were still two battlements left to conquer.

We landed Appa on top of a grassy cliff ledge in between the last two bulwarks. "You two take out that battlement!" Hakoda ordered his children, pointing to the one behind them. "We've got this one." He jerked his head backward and then beckoned for me to follow him. "Watch each others' backs!" He called out to the siblings over his shoulder. The Water Tribe chief climbed on top of the battlement roof and I did the same. He inched closer and closer to the edge of the roofing. "You ready?" Hakoda asked me. It was rhetorical but I nodded anyway. The warrior swung himself in the battlement and I was at his heels. The Water Tribe leader was instantly sucked into a sword duel with one of the soldiers inside. I pulled a stone out from the structure and smashed the catapult that was stationed near the window. I caught a glimpse of another soldier moving towards us quickly. In his hand, he held two dark circles with lit fuses. _Oh no! NO!_

_"_Hakoda!" I called out, running to the warrior. I hurled myself at his middle and once my feet touched the ground, I pushed off and with the help of my bending we soared out the door just as the bomb went off and destroyed a corner of the battlement. I could feel the force from the blow behind me, but I was hardly injured.

"Dad?"

"Karuna?" Sokka and Katara dashed towards us. I slowly stood up off the ground and helped the Water Tribe chief to his feet. He seemed to be alright. The man brushed off some ash from his Water Tribe battle uniform. "Are you okay?" The siblings checked us for any injuries or harms.

"I'm fine, thanks to Karuna. If she hadn't pulled me out when she did, I probably wouldn't be here." Hakoda gave me a look of gratitude. I felt honored by his gratefulness and humbly bowed my head at him. I was just glad neither of us had gotten hurt in the tumult. "I owe you one." Hakoda smiled.

"We'll square up later, chief." I grinned. He didn't owe me anything. I took action because it was the right thing to do, not because I wanted a pat on the back. I knew that someone was going to get hurt if we stayed inside the battlement. But I didn't want to be disrespectful, so I didn't argue with the man. The four of us boarded Appa and rejoined the fight down below. It was time to push the invasion force forward.

* * *

><p>Sokka and Hakoda had lead the invasion force further and the Fire Nation defense was falling back and growing weaker by the minute. Zaida and Jin stayed close to Haru and Tyro in the new formation of our troops and Raiden fought alongside Bato and the other Water Tribe warriors. Everything was going smoothly and the eclipse hadn't even occurred yet. We had yet to reach the volcano's side, but we would get there in no time if the attack continued with the same amount of strength and persistence it possessed then. Katara looked up into the sky for a brief moment. "Is that?...Is that Aang?" <em>Baldy couldn't be back already! Ozai's not that much of a coward! <em>But sure enough, there was something or _someone _flying toward us from the top of the volcano. Aang was returning very early. I had a feeling something was wrong.

"Twinkles is back already?" Toph asked in disbelief as she adjusted her helmet. Though the blind girl obviously couldn't see him approaching, she had been paying attention to Katara's observations. The avatar swooped down on his glider and landed before us.

"Aang, please tell me you're here because the Firelord turned out to be a big ass wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to beat him." Sokka pleaded. But his humor was irrelevant in this situation. I knew that wasn't the case. I had never seen Ozai's true power, but I had seen enough to know that the man would not be easy to take down. It would take an extremely long and exhausting fight. Aang shook his head grimly.

"He wasn't there. _No one _was. The whole palace city is abandoned!" The Air Nomad informed us, gazing upon our shocked and petrified faces.

"They knew." Sokka concluded darkly. His sharp mind had already pieced he puzzle together. "They knew we were coming!" The warrior boy threw his wolf cowl to the ground. "It's a disaster!" Things didn't look good. If we couldn't locate the Firelord, the whole invasion was pointless. But the invasion force was still carrying on strongly and effectively. The palace city residents couldn't have just vanished into thin air and neither could the Firelord. It was then, that I figured out where he had fled to.

"Don't give up yet, Sokka." I advised him. "We've covered so much ground already and we've still got time until the eclipse starts to find Ozai. We can still win this." The darker skinned boy sighed, closed his eyes and nodded his head. He then looked at me with determined, blue eyes.

"Alright. What did you have in mind?"

"Underground."


	16. The Fire Nation's Darkest Day: Part II

Hey guys sorry for the cliff hanger type wait. Finals are almost over so I should be able to update faster cuz school will be done YAY! I'm a senior now! 2013! Well anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p> <em>She is not, one of us...~<em>

Aang looked up at me with disappointed eyes. "Karuna, it's over. The Firelord probably relocated to a remote island so that he'd be safe during the eclipse." I shook my head.

""Nuh-uh." The Air Nomad cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Every significant ruler has a secret catacomb to hide in at times like these."

"You mean, like a panic room?" Sokka asked. He was close.

"More like a bunker." I corrected. "And I'll bet you anything it would be under that volcano." Toph walked over to me.

"Underground, eh? We're just the girls to find it!" She beamed. Sokka pulled out a timing device the Mechanist had given him.

"Alright, it's ten minutes until the eclipse. That means ten minutes to find the Firelord." We were definitely pressed for time now. Could we do it in that short of time? We'd have to have the spirits on our side. Katara, the voice of reason, spoke up.

"Wait. If they knew we were coming, it could be a trap. Let's not risk that. We can use the time we have left to make sure everyone gets out safely." The water-bender's idea made sense. There was no telling what would happen once we started searching for the Firelord. And if we failed to find Ozai, everyone would be royally screwed.

Hakoda put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission. They know just what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it." The warrior chief threw in his two cents. We all looked up at the air-bender. It was _his _decision after all, since he was the one destined to defeat the Firelord. The avatar turned to gaze at the volcano.

"Let's do this!"

* * *

><p>"Toph, do you feel anything?" Aang asked. The earth-bender wiggled her toes on the volcano's side.<p>

"Yep," She answered. "There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano."

"She's right." I dug my hand into the Earth. " I can feel something big, dense and possibly made of metal." I drew back for a quick moment and then rammed my fist into the ground. After, Toph jumped through the make shift entrance I had just created. There was no doubt that she'd be our guide in the dark. She'd be able to navigate the best.

"Nice punching, Sifu!" My cousin yelled over her shoulder. "This way!" Aang and Sokka followed the blind girl through the dark tunnel. I had to practically drag Katara behind me because she was so uneasy about wandering pitch black tunnels.

Toph's heightened sense of direction was our savior. Without her we'd "perish in burning hot magma" as she had put it. The girl suddenly came to a halt . "The tunnel continues on the other side!" My cousin informed us. But there was about eight yards filled with fire geysers in front of us. We'd need to be fast and careful if we wanted to cross it in one piece. _Aw shit..._Sokka was the first to move. He ran forward, winding around geysers like a madman. It was a wonder the clumsy boy hadn't been blasted sky high by the fire and steam; to be honest, I have expected it to happen. Aang and Toph soon took off in the same direction. I took hold of Katara's hand and together we dashed through the geyser field.

We stopped once we saw the other three halted on the edge of a rocky ledge. Down below was a sea of flowing lava. "There's no floor!" Sokka exclaimed. The look on Katara's face seem to say 'Are you shitting me?' It seemed like we had reached a dead end, but then Aang opened up his glider.

"Climb on and hold on tight." What? No. The kid couldn't be serious. The five of us would crash and burn in the lava if we tried flying together.

"Aang, there's no way we can all go over at once." I tried reasoning with the avatar. We'd get killed before even finding the Firelord. The Air Nomad knew that carrying everyone over at the same time couldn't be done.

"I'll have to make two trips. I'll take Toph and Sokka first, then I'll come back for you and Katara." The earth-bender and warrior boy climbed onto Aang's glider and took off with him. We could hear them screaming (it was mainly Sokka) like babies as they flew further down the tunnels. I turned to face the water-bender. Once the other three were out of sight, she threw herself into my arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She rested her head against my collarbone. "When the explosion happened inside that battlement, and when you weren't moving on the ground-I thought that maybe you-" she trailed off. I held the water-bender around her waist and hugged her tightly. I kissed the girl on her forehead.

"I'm just happy you're alright too." I smiled at her. "Let's keep it that way." We let go of one another once we saw Aang flying back in the distance. As he drew closer, more violent thoughts clouded my mind. I wanted him to fall. I wanted the searing, hot embers to burn holes into his glider, taking him down to where the boiling hot magma would envelope him in a scalding prison in which he could not escape. He had tried to steal my girlfriend from me. He deserved to perish. Then my conscience spoke up. _What's wrong with you? Aang is your __friend.__ Regardless of what happened earlier,he is your companion and the world's beacon of light. How dare you? _I was feeling pretty guilty once Aang reached the ledge. It was to the point where I couldn't look him in the eye. I was ashamed.

The ride over to join Sokka and Toph was terrifying. Though I knew Aang had complete control over the glider, I kept feeling as if I was going to fall off. After what felt like hours of careful maneuvering, we made it to the other side. Toph tore through the metal door that obstructed our path. She bent it open with her elbows as if it were nothing! _What in Agni? _

"I'm _so _glad we added you to the group!" Sokka squealed ecstatically as he followed her through the opening she had made. I was still in amazement and shock.

"You can _metal-bend?" _My cousin giggled in the lead.

"Yeah, I'm that awesome!"

As we wandered the winding and twisting corridors of the underground bunker, we came across a Fire Nation diplomat who was all too eager to reveal Ozai's location before we really even threatened him for information. According to the middle aged man, the Firelord was: down the hall, to the left and up the stairs. With the newly acquired whereabouts, we raced in the direction he told us. As we sprinted up the stairs, Sokka informed us all that it was only about a minute until the eclipse started. Then we reached another metal door, bigger than the first. The Fire Nation insignia was engraved on the metal.

"This is it." Sokka breathed, studying the door. My blood boiled. We were moments away from confronting Ozai; one of the most powerful men on the planet. The man who I had once been inspired by. The monster that I once held such high respect for. There was a tingling sensation in my palms.

"Wait!" I put a halt to further action in our group. A sudden thought occurred to me. "This doesn't feel right. That diplomat handed over the information at a drop of a coin. The Fire Nation despises treacherous actions like that."

"Yeah, well it was either squeal or face a world of pain. Anyone would have done the same." Toph argued. The blind girl did have a valid point.

"Don't you think the Firelord's chamber would have more protection?" I asked.

"Hence, the barricade." Sokka sarcastically pointed to the door with both hands. Aang stood there with his eyes closed, facing the door. He listened to us bicker for a short moment before intervening.

"We don't have the time to be over cautious and analytical." The Air Nomad set us all straight. "If we wanna win the day, we need to strike _now. _Ozai is cowering behind these walls and I'm ready to fight him!" The avatar drew his staff back and then swung it forward. The metal doors smashed inwards from the force of the air. The five of us stepped into the narrow chamber. There was a throne all the way at the end, but Ozai was not the one occupying it.

"So...you _are _alive after all." A condescending feminine voice greeted us. Lounging about the throne, clad in black, gold and red battle armor, was the Fire Nation princess. My gut dropped. _Azula. _The others' jaws had practically hit the floor. "I had a hunch you survived," Azula continued. "But it doesn't matter. I've known about the invasion for months." She snickered. But how was that possible? Then it dawned on me. Ba Sing Se._ She must have gotten the info out of Kuei in her Kyoshi warrior disguise. _

"Where is he? Where's the Firelord?" Aang demanded, not letting his guard down. Azula played if up next. She pretended to be offended.

"Hm. You mean I'm not good enough for you? You're hurting my feelings." _Psh! Like you have feelings. _I remarked internally. Sokka pointed his space sword at her.

"Stop wasting our time and give is the information! You're in no position to refuse-you're powerless now!"

"Stick to the truth!" My cousin warned her. "I'll be able to tell if you're lying." Azula didn't seem phased one bit by the threats. She slowly descended the throne stairs.

"Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar." _She speaks the truth! _With a straight face, the princes said, "I am a 400 foot tall purple platypus-bear with pink horns and silver wings." I really wanted to laugh because I fond it hysterical. The delivery was simply perfect. But, if I did, I knew that Katara and the others would hold that over my head until my dying day. I had to control and save my laughter for a more appropriate time. Toph paused for a moment because she didn't know what to say to the princess.

"Okay. You're good. I'll admit it." The blind girl agreed. She then punched forward, trapping Azula neck down in earth. The princess remained stuck for a few moments. Then, the Earth surrounding her began to crack and she busted out of her restraint. _What? _I knew the fire-bender was strong, but that was something else! Azula brushed the dirt off of her shoulder pads.

"When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs...Dai Li agents!" Down from the ceiling dropped two figures clad in green. The princess was brilliant as always. She couldn't bend for the time being, but _they _could. Aang went in for the attack. He swung his staff at them with a huge force of wind behind it, but the Dai Li shielded themselves and the princess with stone blockades.

Aang tore down half of the Earth walls and faced off with the Dai Li. Another barricade was raised once he broke through. My cousin blasted a hole up top in it and leaped through. I was about to follow her when I glanced back at the Water Tribe siblings.

"Don't worry about me! I'll climb over, and Katara's got this end of the room!" I gave the warrior boy the thumbs up sign and then earth-bended myself up through the hole. Once I joined the other two, Toph was already preoccupied with fending off from the Dai Li. The members had planted themselves on the sides of the chamber and were attacking her diagonally. My cousin was definitely a match for them and it looked like she didn't need any help at the moment. Aang went after Azula, but every time he went to strike the princess, she performed some type of effective aerial evasive move to get herself out of the way. Her moves were acrobatic and I had never seen do anything like this before. The princess ran up the side walls and flipped over pillars; she was avoiding very attack like it was a plague. I pulled the long bow off my back and took aim. It was extremely hard to target her. I was only aiming to pin her by her armor but at the speed she was moving, I was afraid I'd make a fatal error. I lowered my bow in cowardice, but then turned around quickly and took fire. The arrow caught the top of one of the Dai Li agent's robes and pinned it to the wall. I shot another one which snagged the other side of his uniform.

Azula ran towards the hole in the Earth barricade. Aang and Toph were in pursuit. With the help of one agent, the princess sprang up off of a raised column and soared through the hole, just as Sokka was making his way through. They had missed each other by inches. _Spirits, Sokka...KATARA! _I followed Aang and Toph through the hole and over the warrior boy. Down below where the door once stood, Katara stood in the entrance way to block the princess. The Water Tribe girl unleashed a water whip from her pouch which caught Azula around the ankle. The fire-bender started to stumble and then dodge rolled to get back on her feet. She then jumped completely over the water-bender's head, dive rolled and continued on. _Where did she learn this from? Ty Lee? _

"I can't pin her down!" Aang hollered to Toph and I who were running at his side after the Fire Nation princess. "She's too quick!" Azula darted out of the chamber through one of the tunnels. A Dai Li agent was following us. Toph lunged at him and shoved him into a metal pillar. She bent the sides of the pillar inwards so that he couldn't escape. Using water from her pouch, Katara froze the man there just for good measure. Aang and I were in the lead now. We sped after the princess with the other three behind us.

"Aang! Karuna! Stop attacking!" Sokka commanded, screeching to a sudden stop. The avatar and I stopped fast and up ahead surprisingly, so did Azula. "Don't you see what she's doing? She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight!" The warrior boy brought this to our attention.

"Not true!" Azula objected in the same fake perkiness as earlier. "I'm giving it my all." I couldn't believe I used to miss the princess' sarcastic and mocking tones.

"You're trying to keep us here and waste all of our time!" Toph accused her. Azula looked a bit annoyed and then sighed to herself.

"Um, right. I think your friend just said that, genius. And since you can't see, I should tell you I'm rolling my eyes." _Ouch. _A wicked grin was plastered to the princess' face. We had made plenty of blind jokes with the small girl before but that was out of line; especially because the remark came from our antagonist. My cousin cracked her knuckles.

"Ill roll your whole _head!" _She challenged the princess, but Sokka put a hand on her shoulder.

"She's just baiting you again! Guys, we need to get out of here and fine the Firelord before it's too late." The warrior boy was right. Azula had already proved to be a time consuming distraction. We had to ignore her and keep moving. Katara, Toph and I followed Aang and Sokka back the other way we came.

"Sooo...Sokka's your name, is it?" the princess' tone sounded dangerously chipper. Usually when it sounded like that, it meant bad things were about to happen. "My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time." The Water Tribe boy paused and turned around to face her. "She was convinced you were going to rescue her. Of course, you never came and she gave up on you." It was the first time I had ever seen the darker skinned boy shed tears. He growled and then sprung forward in a charge. I grabbed onto the older boy before he could get far.

"Sokka, no! She's just reeling you in like you said. We can't fall for that!" The warrior boy fought against my grasp to get at the princess. "Suki's fine. She's okay. I promise. I promise you!" It took a lot to restrain Sokka and I was sure he was going to knock me over very soon. "Don't listen to her!" I eventually got him to calm down and he stopped fighting me. I urged him to keep moving with us and reassured him several times that nothing had happened to his girlfriend. He threw nasty glances at the princess as he walked backwards. We were still in the process of exiting the scene when things took a turn for the worst.

"Oh, Kari!" Azula's false enthusiasm returned. "I almost didn't recognize you in this...motley crew." I should have ignored the fact that she was speaking to me and kept on going. However, I turned back. "Funny. I never pictured you in green and brown. I think _red _is more your color," She emphasized the word. "Wouldn't you agree?" My heart rate began to slowly increase. Great. She was targeting me now. I should have walked away then, leaving her behind, but for whatever reason, those weren't my actions.

"Watch yourself, Azula!" I found myself snapping at her. The princess seemed amused by my reaction and my friends were now very confused.

"You know her?" Aang asked me, bewildered. The Fire Nation princess placed her hands on her hips and laughed.

"Boy, does she know me." A smirk was on her red lips. I was starting to grow irritated. I took a step forward but Katara grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I pulled against her for a moment, but she had a firm grasp.

"Come on. Let's go." Katara glared at Azula, who narrowed her gold eyes and returned the cold stare. I could only imagine the internal insults they were shooting at one another in that moment. The princess' irises returned to normal shortly and it seemed as if she was calculating something. I started to go with Katara and the others down the tunnel.

"Why'd she call you a different name? What's going on?" Sokka questioned me. I told him I'd explain later when we weren't crunched for time. I didn't want to talk about it at the moment.

"Walk away, Kari." The princess mocked me once I turned my back on her. "It should be easy for you. You've done it before." I could feel the blood gushing in my ears. My adrenaline was at an all time high. The old anger I was once burdened with returned. I slammed my foot into the Earth and a structure rose up diagonally and struck the princess. The impact sent her flying back into a tunnel wall. I ran at her with my fist drawn back; it was terrible form, but I wasn't thinking clearly. The princess got up quickly and waited for me to get closer. From her sleeve, she had drawn a knife. I didn't notice the concealed weapon until seconds before she raised it. All of a sudden, an arrow pierced her sleeve and pinned her arm to the wall. Azula was taken by complete surprised and I used the moment to trap her hands to the wall by enclosing them in rock. The Princess scowled at the warrior boy who lowered his recurve bow.

"Who do you think you are? The Yu-Yan Archers?" Sokka glared at the fire-bender from a distance. His blue eyes never shifted once.

"No. We're Team Avatar." The boy declared. His words filled me with inspiration. The five of us were in this together. And we all looked out for each other. _Team Avatar..._I sighed in my head. The moment would have been even greater had Azula not ruined it.

"Well I hate to crush this heart warming moment, _really, _but it might interest you to know that within your oh so self-righteous group one of your comrades has been hiding something." It was my turn to smirk and laugh.

"Nice try, princess. They already know I'm from the Fire Nation." I turned my back on her once more and retreated. Azula would have to do better than that if she wanted to black mail me. But of course, the fire-bender would not give up so easily.

"I'm surprised the avatar allowed you to join his posse, despite your military background." I wanted to kick her in the face. Anything to get the woman to can it. Aang gazed upon me with a confused expression.

"Karuna, what does she mean? What is she talking about?" I brushed it off the best I could.

"Nothing, Aang. Don't worry about it."

"Oh don't sell yourself short, Kari. You were pretty famous back in the day." The fire-bender continued. "Every man, woman and child knew your name. The youngest warlord in Fire Nation history."

"Shut up." I warned her. I picked up the pace of my walk, but Sokka stood in my way and held me back.

"What is she _talking _about?" The warrior boy repeated Aang's question in a harsh voice. My hear raced a mile a minute and I was scared as hell. I knew what Azula was doing, but the princess couldn't break me; I wouldn't allow her to.

"How many villages did you conquer? Seven?...Twenty? I can't seem to remember." Sadistic, golden eyes stared into my soul.

"Shut _up!" _I shouted at the fire-bender. She was getting inside of my head and I couldn't shut her out. Azula only snickered at my anger and agitation. The girl thrived on the misfortune of others. _No, no no! _This couldn't be happening. Katara stared at me both desperately and frantically.

"Karuna, _what _is she talking about?"

"Open your ears, water peasant!" The princess spat. I stepped forward and raised my fist.

"Back off, Azula." I would not tolerate _anyone _talking to my girlfriend in such a way. Especially not an ex. Azula had no right to speak to her like that. The princess then raised an eyebrow.

"_Well, _when did _you _join the Water Tribe?" She jeered at me. I felt my cheeks burn pink for a short moment. "Why it seems like just yesterday when you told me how you longed to lead the siege on the Northern Tribe. How Zhao was incompetent for such a task." I instantly regretted that memory. I had been an entirely different person back then. Katara stared up at me with hurt eyes. I wished it was a lie. I wished it was a filthy lie, but the princess spoke the truth. The flood gates of my past had opened. "General Sankari," The princess' words stabbed me, each one of them. "Pride of the Fire Nation after the Dragon of the West. But they already knew that, didn't they?" I hated her condescending tone, and I hated her patronizing demeanor. My friends were absolutely awestruck. Not one had anything to say to me. Toph was the one who finally broke the deafening silence.

"She's lying." The stubborn girl insisted. "She's lying, isn't she Karuna?" She of all people should have known the answer to her question. The fact that she was asking it, tore me in half. My throat was dry. I stared down at the floor. My cousin grew uneasy at my silence. "Isn't she?" The fragility of her voice was what caused me to break down. Clear rivers ran down my cheeks from my eyes. I shook my head.

"No, Toph." There was no way of hiding it anymore, and I felt like a monster from keeping the truth from her. "She's not." It was all over. My secret redemption was done. My friends now knew the awful truth. And I was sure they would soon see me as a villainous foe. Azula smiled wickedly from against the wall. The princess seemed very pleased with herself.

"But she's wrong." I forced my voice to come out strong. The fire-bender's facial expression suddenly changed. "My color is _not _red. My past _is _filled with wrongdoings and mistakes, this is true. And many I cannot atone for. But I'm not fighting for control anymore. I'm fighting to restore. And I am _not _supporting the Fire Nation anymore-I made that decision a long time ago. I represent the Earth Kingdom now and any other nation that stands for peace and harmony. _This _is my statement." My whole body shook and I was trembling. I turned to gaze upon my friends. If they even wanted to see my face now was beyond me and I couldn't blame them. Katara kept avoiding eye-contact and Sokka was shaking his head at me in denial. The avatar was the only one who would face me now.

"You have to find Ozai. Go now! Before the eclipse ends." I advised him. The Air Nomad continued to stare at me with the same somber face. This caused more tears to spill out of my eyes. "I'm so sorry..." I whimpered. I saw a small tear appear on Aang's face before he nodded at me and started to leave the scene.

"Hmm. Sounds like the fire-bending's back on." Azula mused. She kicked her leg in a crescent formation, sending a jet of blue flames at my friends before she broke free of her restraints. I reacted quickly and stood in front of them. I juggled the fire as it reached my fingertips and in a flash, blue became white. I redirected the attack and that end of the tunnel was now engulfed in bright, white flames. When they extinguished, the princess was nowhere to be seen. She must have fled. _Coward! _

"You have to go, now!" I urged them. "The Fire-benders aren't hindered anymore." Toph, Katara and Sokka were in awe of what I had just done. Aang was the first to respond and least surprised.

"The eclipse is over, but I can face the Firelord anyway." The brave avatar declared. I didn't think his decision was a good one. Ozai was extremely powerful, and it wasn't that I doubted Aang, but the Firelord was for more experienced in the art of war.

"No, I don't think that's such a good idea." Sokka shared. "The element of surprise wasn't with us today. We all need to fall back and wait for another opportunity to strike." The young avatar was reluctant, and rightfully so. He had come to the palace with a mission: to take down the Firelord. But his chance would come soon.

"Alright, let's move!" The five of is raced back through the tunnels.

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><p>As we flew down to join the invasion force, I looked up at the sky. Fire Nation airships and war balloons were drawing near. <em>Oh no! <em>"It was all a trap!" Sokka told Hakoda once we landed Appa. "They knew we were coming! We need to make it to the beaches as fast as we can. If we can get to the submarines in time we might be able to get away safely."

"I'm gonna try to slow them down." Aang decided from atop Appa. "They're not the only ones with air power!" The boy took off towards the airships on his glider. Katara stayed on the bison's head.

"I'm going to help him!" Soon, the water-bender was soaring towards the war balloons. That meant the rest of us were in charge of getting everyone back to the submarines in one piece.

As we ran toward the beaches, the airships began to drop bombs. It forced everyone to duck and cover. I grabbed Raiden and Jin and shielded us with an earth blockade while the other earth-benders shielded others. "Guys!" I shouted out as the airships flew on ahead. "They're gonna destroy the subs!" I called out to them. Sokka looked on in horror and dismay.

"How are we all going to escape?" The Water Tribe boy whimpered. Things looked very grim. Next to him, Toph looked nervous. Soon, the other Water Tribe warriors joined us.

"We're not." Hakoda said gravely. "You kids have to leave. You have to all escape on Appa." The Water Tribe leader was right. We needed to retreat.

"What? We can't leave you behind!" Katara ran to her father. "We can't leave _anyone _behind!" Hakoda held his daughter's hands in his.

"You're our only chance in the long-run. The four of you need to go somewhere safe with Aang for the time being. The youngest of our group should go with you. The adults will stay behind and surrender." _No! _That meant that everyone else would be captured and taken as prisoners. I couldn't believe it had all boiled down to this.

As the subs were being destroyed, we loaded those departing with us onto Appa. Families were being separated and it pained me inside that we had to split up. Katara and Sokka had just been reunited with their father and how they would be apart once more. Teo had never been separated from his father and the same went with Pipsqueak and The Duke. Haru was the last to board Appa after embracing Tyro. Tears flooded down Aang's cheeks and he wiped them away shortly after. The avatar stood on Appa's head.

"Thank you all for being so brave and so strong. I'm going to make this up to you." He promised the rest of the warriors. That was enough for me. I couldn't stand idly by while these courageous people sacrificed their freedom for us. I, of all people had no right to let them take the fall for me. Aang grabbed the Sky Bison's reins.

"Wait," I stopped the boy from starting our departure. I hopped out of Appa's saddle and down to where the others had gathered. I took a stand next to my brother, who was beside Bato and the other Water Tribe warriors. "I'm staying." I proclaimed. From in the saddle, Sokka gave me a worried look.

"Karuna no..." He tried to discourage me. I didn't want to hear it though.

"These people are laying down their lives. I have not right to do anything but the same." Aang gave me a pleading glance alongside the warrior boy. Raiden looked down at me.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you go through with this?" He teased lightly. "You're not staying."

"Yes, I-" The bounty hunter cut me off.

"_No. _You're not." He stated matter-of-factly. Strangely, he sounded like my father for a moment. "You're going with Aang and the others." Raiden untied his headband and took my hand. He wrapped the green cloth around my palm, and I clutched this symbol of the Bei Fong family. "Keep it safe until we get out, okay?" I nodded obediently. "You hide out somewhere, you hear me? Wait until a better time to attack arises." I nodded again at him. He capture me in a brotherly embrace and it was then that I realized how much I didn't want to be apart from him. He was the only immediate family I had left. "Don't worry about me. Focus on the goal." He smiled weakly. I tried my best to return the expression. It was near impossible to find happiness in this moment. Then, Hakoda approached me.

"It looks like we won't be able to square up for a little while yet." The warrior patted me on the back. I managed a small chuckle at his words. The Water Tribe chief added so that only I could hear him: "If I can request another favor..." I remained silent, letting him continue. "Look our for Katara for me." I was all too happy to comply.

"I will." The man gave me a relieved and grateful smile and then bowed his head. I bowed back and then approached Appa again. Zaida held out her hand to me from in the saddle. I gladly accepted the lift on top of the Sky Bison.

"We will avenge this day." Aang said to the invasion force before snapping Appa's reins. Moments later, the bison was airborne and we were leaving the others far behind. Aang took us higher into the clouds as we soared on. "I know a place we can go where we'll be safe." He told everyone on board. "The Western Air Temple!" It was a good thought, but to me it didn't seem like the ideal place for keeping a low profile.

"Aang, are you sure that's best?" I inquired. "An Air Temple would probably be the first place they'd l-" My speech came to a halt at Aang's hardened stare. It was a cold expression that looked foreign on the boy's face. It seemed to say '_You _have no right to question _my _judgment.' I dropped my gaze to the bottom of the saddle, feeling ashamed. The door to my past had been open. And now that it had been stepped through, I couldn't begin to comprehend what this would mean for me and Team Avatar...


	17. Recalibration

Hey guys, sorry it's taken almost a month to update! I'm trying to juggles summer activities with writing lol. I hope everyone's enjoying the hot weather but if you're reading this now than obviously you're either inside or you have to be reading fanfiction wherever you go! Things are starting to come to the conclusion- but that's still a handful of chapters away so enjoy!  
>~<strong>th3rdhal3<strong>~

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><p>After a tiresome trek, we finally made it to the Western Air Temple. The nomads who lived there generations ago had built their homes on the under sides of cliffs. I had never seen structures like these before and the view was breathtaking. I wondered what it would have been like to see the air-benders thrive in this place.<p>

We landed Appa in the heart of the abandoned dwelling which had an old fountain that was still running in the center. Haru, Teo and The Duke went to go explore; Zaida and Jin decided to go with them. I was the last to come down from the bison's saddle. Seeing as how it was the least I could do, I turned to ask Sokka how I could help unpack and such. Katara unleashed hell.

"Is there anything I can-" As I turned my head to gaze at the warrior boy, I felt a fist plow into the side of my mouth. Before I could so much as react, another hit rammed into my bad eye. I staggered back and raised my arms up in defense. Actually, it was more to check if my jaw was still in tact. I could feel liquid running down the corner of my mouth. Standing in front of me was the water-bender and she was unbelievably livid.

"You!" She shrieked at me, ready to strike again. "Lying! Pretentious! Secretive! _Rrrgh!" _I blocked all of her hits to the best of my ability but the girl continued to come after me.

"Katara, please. Let's not do this." I pleaded with her, but she ignored me.

"Don't tell me what to do!" She screamed at me and continued to pound me. I had seen Katara angry many times before but not to this degree. It worried me.

"Dammit, Katara! Will you let me explain?" She wasn't going to give me the time of day. The water-bender hit hard and my forearms were starting to hurt from the intense blocking.

"Explain what?" Katara kept right on attacking. "What you really are? How you've been lying to us this entire time?" The Water Tribe girl's words hit me hard and stung me. _What you really are..._Like she was implying that I was some kind of monster. As if I was some terrible beast that parents tell their children about at night. I was so caught off guard by my emotions that I didn't even attempt to stop Katara from knocking me down. "You won't even fight me!" She had taken the water from her pouch and hurled it at me. Of course I wouldn't fight her; I would never dream of striking Katara. I raised my arms to block the water whip but the impact pushed me back. I hopped back up to my feet as soon as I could in a defensive position. I realized how close I was to the cliff's edge so I carefully stepped closer to the fountain.

"Katara, _please, _just stop." I really didn't have a right to order her around but she needed to calm down before things got ugly. I wanted her to hear my side of the story but it looked like that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The water-bender sent another whip at me that turned into ice. It hit the side of my left wrist and the force was enough to send my arm back. _Shit! _It hurt. I shook my hand out as I winced.

"Fight me!" Katara shouted. The scene became very familiar all of a sudden. "You wanted to wipe out the Water Tribe, didn't you? Well here's your chance!" I was devastated by the words that tumbled out of her mouth. "_Fire-bend!" _It was a definite deja vu`. It felt like the organs in my body shut down for a split second. The pounding in my ears returned. I felt the steam rise off my head and shoulders. I let the sudden emotion build up until I thought my head would pop off. I was _done _with serenity. All I felt was so incredibly angry in those few moments.

"Fire-bend...is that what you want?" I flexed my arms at my sides. The heat growing inside my fists was searing hot. White flames crawled up to my elbows. I pulled my arms back allowing the flames to rise. "_IS IT?" _I screamed at her. Aang's eyes widened as he took hold of his staff and Sokka held onto his boomerang a little tighter than usual. I took a step forward and then suddenly, my other foot wouldn't budge. I glanced down and saw that it was encased with Earth.

"You need to take a chill pill, sifu." My cousin said from a few feet away; no doubt she had been the one to stop me. Across from me, Sokka was restraining his sister from coming after me.

"What the hell has gotten in to you, Katara? She's like your best friend! And we've got bigger things to worry about at the moment." The warrior boy pointed out. I pulled my foot out of the ground but didn't advance any further. I was still pissed but I wasn't as riled up anymore. The cool down helped me see what I just did. I had almost fire-bended my girlfriend into oblivion.

Katara still fought against her brother's grip."You know, I didn't expect this from anyone-especially you." The water-bender stated. Though still enraged, her voice was a tad bit less hostile. "You said you were going to open up more-you said you were going to stop being so cryptic. " This was true. I had promised the girl that I would at least try. "I just wish you would have followed through and on that and told me the truth." She shook her head and turned away from me. My throat was dry but I took a deep breath and defended myself anyway.

"You want the truth?" It wasn't so much a question as it was clarification. "Fine. I'll tell you the _truth." _Aang and Sokka looked a little worried by the curtness and power in my voice. Katara crossed her arms and eventually looked at me again.

"I was born in the Earth Kingdom. I was taken from my home after our city was attacked. My step-father was a General and took me back to the Fire Nation to live with him. He taught me how to fight and how to fire-bend. I became well acquainted with the children of the Fire Nation- that's how I know Azula. I guess they thought I was a pretty good bender because not long after, Ozai appointed me as one of his Generals." I paused to let that part of my spiel sink in. "I didn't know what the hell I was doing- I was _twelve _years old. I was blind to reason and I was unaware that the war was wrong. Every nation thinks that they're right and at the time I believed that everything I was doing for my country was right.

Eventually I learned my true parentage and who I really was. After that, I succeeded from the Fire Nation. Then I found Toph and, well, I've been fighting for the Earth Kingdom ever since." Katara studied me silently for a few moments.

"Why should I trust you now? Why should we trust you after today?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Because I'm being honest. I'm no longer one of them." I was sincere. Katara sighed; she wasn't quite as mad now. Then she laughed dryly.

"See you say that, but how do we know that's the case?" She questioned me. "You kept that part of your life pretty concealed until now. You could be trying to sabotage Aang's training. How do we know you didn't have ulterior motives from the get-go?" Sokka stroked his chin thoughtfully, and it seemed as though he was considering his sister's theory. I felt so alienated then, like I was no longer a part of their group. It hurt that Katara was interrogating me in such a way. It was if our relationship had completely faded away in mere hours.

"You better watch your accusations, miss priss." Toph stepped away from the pillar she was leaning against. "She's on our side, so chill." It was good to know that someone had my back.

"You mean this doesn't irk you at all, Toph?" Katara asked the blind girl. The small earth-bender scratched the back of her neck and sighed.

"Well, maybe it did!" The younger girl sounded as if she was hiding her innermost feelings on the matter. "But it doesn't change the fact that she's my cousin and my first true friend. I trust her with my life." The blind girl concluded. I turned my head to grin at Toph, even though she wouldn't see the expression. Maybe somehow she'd feel it.

Aang glanced back and forth at all of us. "I believe Karuna." He declared, which surprised me a little. "If she was really bent on stalling my training, she wouldn't have helped coach me alongside Toph. I mean, it was kind of a shocker that to find out what we did, but she grew up learning one way just as we all have. We can't blame her for that. And in all the time she's been with us, she's never given me a reason to doubt her loyalty to the team or the friendship that we have with her." I wanted to capture the avatar in a bone-crushing hug. His support of me warmed my heart and helped raise my spirit. The kid had a good head on his shoulders, he really did.

"Aang's right." Sokka agreed. "I'm not gonna persecute her for something she did a while back when she was someone else. I don't agree with it by any means, and it won't be something I'll forgive and forget overnight. Things might be different between all of us now-I already have this feeling. But we've gotta get it back to the way it was before. We can keep arguing back and forth but the real problem isn't going to be resolved." The older boy reminded us. "Right now, let's transition our focus on what has to happen next." The Water Tribe boy began to lead us towards a different part of the temple. The water-bender still glared at me with cold and calculating eyes. She then followed her brother. _Oh boy._

* * *

><p>The five of us sat on the stones that were placed to look like a meeting or gathering area. Toph sat on the tallest one, naturally, and Aang and I sat on one side while the Water Tribe siblings sat across from us. "Alright..." Aang broke the initial awkward silence. "What's the new plan?"<p>

"The new plan is the old plan!" Sokka informed us. "Master all four elements and confront the Firelord before the comet shows up." That made perfect sense to me. We just needed to stick to our original goal.

"Oh sure. No problem. I'll get right on that." The avatar sarcastically remarked as he threw a small rock against the larger stones.

"No one said it was going to be easy, Aang." Katara pointed out from across the way. "We could go find Jeong Jeong." My ears perked up. _Jeong Jeong. _I had never met the man but I knew a great deal about him. He was infamous for deserting the Fire Nation army. I wondered how the group came across him in their earlier travels.

"It's not gonna even be possible!" The Air Nomad flopped on his back. "Sure, like we're ever going to run into Jeong Jeong again." He didn't seem even the least bit interested in the idea of searching for the fire-bending master. "Where am I going to find a fire-bending teacher out here?" At this, Sokka stared at the ground for a split second before glancing over at me. I made eye-contact with the boy and nodded. I cleared my throat.

"Ahem. Aang?" The air-bender looked left at me, then realization hit him. It was actually pretty humorous as I watched the light bulb switch on in his head.

"I can learn fire-bending from you!" He blurted out enthusiastically. I smiled a little bit at the excited air-bender. The boy sat down cross-legged and ceased his spaz attack. "That is, if you'll teach me." He added. I thought back to when I had promised myself that I would never fire-bend again. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

"I would like to Aang, it's just that I made myself a promise that I would never fire-bend after I left the Fire Nation." I hugged my knees into my chest.

"Yeah well you kind of broke that promise." Katara pointed out in the least subtle way possible. I had a feeling she would be angry with me for a long while. I looked down at the floor in silence because I knew she was right. Aang gave me a sympathetic look.

"When I was trying to learn from Jeong Jeong I ended up hurting someone, so I promised myself the same thing." I looked up at him. "I've been dreading learning how to fire-bend since then, but it's something I have to do. And I think you were meant to be my final teacher. The reason we found you and Toph was so that you could each teach me an element. If we're in this together, maybe it won't be so bad."

I thought about what he had to say. He was right; we were both destined to do this. And in order to fire-bend, one had to give up fear. I'd have to let go of all the pain and sorrow that I associated this element with so that I could follow through with this. I couldn't tell him no. The fate of the world was counting on him-and our decision was crucial to our victory. "I'll teach you." I responded. "You have to learn." The avatar jumped up and down in rejoice. Sokka was grinning from across the way and even Katara displayed a pleasant emotion.

All of a sudden, Toph hopped down from the stone. "That's gonna have to wait. We have company." She jerked her thumb behind her. Once Appa moved out of the way, we could see him as clear as day; the Fire Nation prince.

This wasn't the first time I was shocked to see Zuko somewhere. It was rather strange and surprising that we'd find him here at the Air Temple of all places. "Hello. Zuko here." He announced his arrival in a chipper voice. Instantly, everyone was on the defense. "I heard you guys arrive so I came to meet you here." The scarred boy said. The four were all ready to retaliate if needed until Appa began licking Zuko as if he were a long lost friend. This caused Aang to lower his staff. "Well, what I wanted to tell you guys is that I've changed and I'm good now." He began to explain. "Oh and I can teaching fire-bending to you." He looked at Aang.

"You can't possibly think that any one of us would trust you." Katara rounded on the prince. "After everything you've done." She did have a point there. I knew Zuko had good in him, but unfortunately that side of him was buried under the anger and hatred that consumed him since banishment.

Sokka agreed with his sister. "Yeah! All you've ever done was try to hunt us down and capture Aang! Besides, he's already got a teacher." The warrior boy nodded his head towards me. That's when Zuko noticed my presence.

"Sankari?" He actually recognized me this time. The prince slowly approached, as to not set off the others. I saved him the trouble and came over to where he was and embraced him. "The last time we saw each other...I...I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know." I reassured the conflicted boy. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked him. My teammates eyed us with caution, and distaste. Zuko let go of me so he could further explain.

"I've done a lot of things in the past that I wish I could correct and I want to make up for them now. I want to help the avatar because now I know it's what's right." The prince then turned to my friends who were still in defensive positions. "It was wrong to try to capture you and I'm sorry I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm trying to-" My eyes widened at this. So did everyone else's apparently.

"Wait a minute..._you _sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka pointed his boomerang at Zuko. The prince tried to explain but Toph cut him off.

"That guy locked Katara, Karuna and I in jail and tried to blow us all up!" The scarred boy looked confused by the mention of the name 'Karuna' but he looked past that to try and find the right words to say to the little earth-bender.

"I'm so sorry!" The dark haired boy tried to apologize. "Like I said, it was wrong for me to-"

"He almost killed us on a _train!" _I complained, still in disbelief that it had been Zuko who had sent the powerful man after us. I knew the prince wanted to get to Aang but I didn't think he would go to that length. Aang lowered his head; he seemed almost sad.

"After everything you did? No. We're never letting you join us." I felt for the prince. He was finally turning his life around but we had rejected him. It wasn't exactly fair.

"You need to get out of here, now!" Katara added. I looked at the four of them, trying to get their sympathy. I felt that maybe we were being too harsh. There could have been a better way to turn him down.

"Katara, d-"

"Don't you 'Katara' me!" The water-bender snapped. "I'm still not through with you. You better watch it, otherwise you're out next!" I raised my arms in surrender and backed off from the pissy girl. Zuko didn't give up as easily. The boy knelt to the ground before us.

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner." The boy couldn't be serious. I shook my head at him.

"Zuko, no...you should leave." I advised him. Though I truly didn't want him to go, I had a feeling it would work out better for everyone if he did. Katara was still fuming and I could only imagine what would happen if he remained in our presence any longer. Katara sent a wave of water at the prince, knocking him back and thoroughly soaking him.

"Get out of here, and don't come back!" She warned him. I felt bad for the conflicted boy. I watched him walk away; his head was hung and he was dripping from head to toe. I wished Katara had refrained from striking him. It didn't sit well with me. _Poor Zuzu..._

* * *

><p>"Obviously he's trying to lead us into some kind of trap." Sokka concluded as the five of us started to unload the gear from Appa.<p>

"It's like when the three of us were in prison in Ba Sing Se." Katara glanced over at me quickly before looking back at her brother. "He starts sympathizing with us and talking about his mother-making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings." _Whoa. _That comment bothered me. Katara was in a really bitchy mood at that moment.

"Hey now!" I began to call her out on it, nearly dropping the sleeping bag I held in the process. "Just because you guys have had ban run ins with him in the past doesn't mean he's not a person!" The water-bender ignored what I had to say. Her brother acknowledged me.

"He plays people though. He wants you to feel sorry for him so you let your guard down, then he strikes." I shook my head at the warrior boy. He didn't know anything about Zuko. None of them did.

Katara began to set up one of the sleeping bags once we were closer to the cliff wall. "His act worked too. I _did _feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt-" I stopped the girl before she could continue.

"That's because he _is. _Believe me, I've known the guy for seven years. He's had a lot happen to him throughout his life and most of it had a negative effect on him." Katara scowled and stood up.

"That doesn't excuse any of his actions." I nodded in agreement.

"True, but you should still try to see where he's coming from." I suggested.

"Considering his messed up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out _a lot _worse." Toph voiced her opinion. My cousin picked up on more than we gave her credit for.

"Why are _you _defending him?" The Water Tribe girl questioned the blind girl. Toph stepped away from her pillar to approach Katara.

"Because you're all being extremely judgmental and heartless-ripping his character to shreds. I wasn't with you guys in the beginning, so I don't know how bad this guy used to be, but come on! He wasn't lying when he said he had changed. I could _feel _the sincerity. And now he's willing to help us win the war-someone who probably knows any or all future plans of the Fire Nation, but you won't even give him a chance?" The little earth-bender stamped her foot for effect.

Aang brushed past her. "We're not having Zuko join our team." He flat out told her. Toph growled and turned her back on everyone.

"You know, sometimes I wonder who's _really _the blind one here." And with that, she stomped away. I watched her leave for a moment, then I hurried after my cousin.

* * *

><p>Toph had requested to be alone for the rest of the day. I guessed she was still pretty ticked off at the others. If I didn't know Toph at all I would have insisted on accompanying the girl wherever she planned on storming off to. But I knew better, so I gave her some space; I learned a while back that people like Toph and myself needed space to blow off some steam.<p>

Night had fallen and the blind girl had still not returned to where we had set up camp at the Air Temple. I started to wonder if she got lost. _Toph's a big girl, _I reminded myself. _She can find her way back. _I was sitting by myself on the stones, thinking, while the others gathered around the fire by the fountain. The tension from earlier had died down, but I still did not feel completely comfortable, so I chose to distance myself from them. Zaida and Jin strayed away from the group to join me. Zaida brought over a nice, warm cup of tea for me and took a seat beside me. "You alright?" She asked me.

"Yeah, we could hear Katara chewing you out earlier. Don't know what the hell for though." Jin added, sitting down beside me. I sighed and began to drink my tea.

"I've been compromised." I breathed, after swallowing the soothing liquid. Jin didn't seem to follow but Zaida was on the exact same page as me. The green eyed girl bit her lip.

"How'd they find out?" She inquired. I shrugged.

"Azula." Zaida opened her mouth slightly in realization and then nodded in silence. I pushed the hair out of my face. "It was bound to happen one way or another. I knew eventually I would have to fire-bend again."

"Whoa..." The tan girl exhaled. "So that's what it was all about...wait, you're from the Earth Kingdom-aren't you an earth-bender?" I nodded my head. "So wait," Jin tried to piece together the puzzle. "You're an earth-bender _and _a fire-bender...how is that possible?" I shrugged. That was a question in which I had been searching for the answer for a long time.

"Well, bending isn't a genetic thing." Zaida explained to the other girl. "I mean, from what I've observed over the years, that doesn't seem to be the case. You have to have the will power to do it. And Karuna's got enough will power to bend two elements." Jin wasn't shocked or appalled to hear I was a fire-bender. She was more intrigued than anything.

"Holy spiritual shit!" The Earth Kingdom girl exclaimed. "You realize how incredible this is, right?' I gave her a blank stare. "You've got like half of the avatar's power. With you and Aang, there's no way we can't win." My ears perked up. The girl brought up an excellent idea.

"I've never tried bending both at the same time." I told them. "I don't know if I could do it." Zaida gave me a look of encouragement and that was the indication that I needed to start training again. If we were to truly end this, Aang would have to master his avatar form and I the White Dragon.

* * *

><p>I felt surprisingly tired the next morning. I yawned loudly and cracked my back; it popped a few times. That didn't sound particularly good. I wandered over to where just about everyone was gathered near the fountain. There was a big vat that steam rose from that was by Katara and the water-bender was handing out bowls of rice to everyone present. She nodded curtly at me upon my arrival.<p>

"You seen Toph?" The darker skinned girl asked. I stretched my arms out some more and shook my head.

"No. I just woke up. Everything alright?"

"Well none of us have seen her since her little temper tantrum yesterday." Sokka told me. _Wow. _Was Toph that pissed off that she stayed away from us all night?

"She's probably exploring the Air Temple." Haru said. "There are some pretty fun spots to practice earth-bending." He, Teo and The Duke then ran off to go watch Teo ride down some ramps in the temple. Aang and I were about to set off to go find her when all of a sudden, we heard a loud pounding behind us. A hole in the cliff wall spewed out dozens of rocks along with Toph. I knew something was wrong immediately because the blind girl was crawling out of the rubble.

"Toph! Are you okay? W-what happened?" I rushed over to my cousin's side.

"My feet got burned!" She cried. I inspected the bottoms of her feet and sure enough they were red.

"How did this happen?" I asked her. My cousin laughed nervously.

"Well, uh, I kind of went to see Zuko last night." On cue, the other three gasped. "I don't think he meant to do it though."

"You did _what?" _Aang hollered.

"I thought that maybe if I talked to him we could work something out." The small earth-bender explained while Katara went to work trying to heal her feet.

"Why did you go without me-or anyone else?" I wasn't angry at her, I was just frustrated that she didn't use her head. There might have been a better outcome had she been smarter with her choice.

"I don't know! I just thought it would be better if I went alone." My cousin mumbled. Sokka stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We have to go after him." _What? No! _I couldn't believe that's the solution that the boy had come up with.

"No. We don't have to do anything! It was an accident for spirits sake!" I protested. Aang sighed and shook his head.

"Sokka's right though." The avatar backed up the older boy. "After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice." _Yes, yes we do have a choice! _I inhaled deeply and stared at the ground grimly. I couldn't hunt down Zuko. And I wouldn't.

Sokka and I carried Toph over to the fountain so she could soak her feet in the cool water. "Ahh, that's the stuff." My cousin sighed as she felt the water's soothing relief. "Now I know what it feels like to be you guys. Not being able to see with your feet sucks."

"You might have to get used to that for a little while." Katara informed her. "It might take some time for your feet to heal." Toph sighed in response and kicked her feet under the water.

A whizzing sound caught my attention. I glanced up just as something collided with the cliff overhang above us. The cliff shook and loose rock began to fall. "What the heck was _that?" _Sokka looked around wildly as he and Aang picked Toph up out of the fountain. I spotted Combustion Man up on a ledge adjacent to us. I looked again and saw Zuko as well. From what I could hear, it sounded as if the prince was ordering him to stop. The scarred boy wasn't having much luck; the metal man was hell-bend on destroying us. Another explosion took care of the golden fixture around the fountain. I lifted the stone from the floor to use as a shield for the five of us; Zaida and Jin had already taken cover behind some pillars.

Up on the ledge, Zuko continued to fight with Combustion Man. He fire-bended at the man, but our attacker tossed him aside. The metal man sent an explosion at the prince. _Zuko! _When the smoke cleared, the dark haired boy was no longer on the ledge. _"_Zuko!" I screamed out. _Oh no! No...no...NO! _ I dropped my gaze slightly and saw the prince hanging onto a large vine underneath the ledge for dear life. It felt like a great weight was lifted off my chest. He was alright. _Thank spirits! _

Aang took action next. He created a tornado with his air-bending and sent the twisting winds at Combustion Man. Our attacker leaped over the tornado and landed on a lower ledge. The metal man continued to open fire at us. Katara summoned the water from the fountain and hurled a large wave up at him. As the water came down, she turned the wave into hundreds of sharp icicles. As good of an attack that it was, it wasn't enough to stop Combustion Man. The assassin shielded himself from the ice and once the projectiles had fallen, he aimed down at us once more.

"Run!" I hollered to Aang and the others. As we sprinted towards the pillars and side-panels of the temple, I glanced over my shoulder and gasped. I hurled myself at Katara mere seconds before the stone underneath her exploded; it was extremely loud and incredibly close. I got up quickly and pulled Katara to her feet. Then, the two of us darted behind the pillars where the others were taking cover.

"Someone mind telling me, who the _fuck _is attacking our asses!" Ah, Jin. Always a pleasure with the language. Zaida knew as much as she did, but she was able to piece together that it was obviously someone sent to take us out. She explained this to Jin.

"He's going to blow us off the cliff side!" Toph hollered, feeling the cliff dwelling weaken. Katara peered around the corner and nearly got her face blown off by another explosion. _Stay put, dammit! _

"I can't step out to water-bend without getting blown up!" She shouted at us over the noise. "And I can't get a good angle on him from down here!" Some one was going to have to draw him closer while the other could wait for the right moment to strike. I took a deep breath and knew what I had to do. I didn't make the quick decision because I was trying to win back Katara...(well not entirely at least) I just didn't want us to plummet to our dooms. Combustion Man needed to be stopped.

"I'm gonna get him down here so you guys can attack." I told the group.

"Hang on, I might be able to get an angle on him." Sokka stopped me. I shook my head and inched closer to the edge of the pillar.

"'Might' and 'can' are two different things." I reminded the Water Tribe boy. I turned to face the girls behind me.

"Zaida! Is my bow by my mat?" She had asked if she could try it out the night before and she was the last person to touch it.

"Yeah!" The short girl yelled back at me. "It should be! Wait...you're not serious are you?" She already figured out what I was planning on doing. I rolled my eyes and flicked my wrist at her to show that I wouldn't be discouraged from following through. I crouched down and got ready to spring forward.

"Okay, stand by until you can get a clear shot!" I instructed the group. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned my head to see Sokka's concerned blue eyes staring into me.

"Don't be a hero, storm." He advised me, shaking his head slightly. I smiled wryly at him and saluted the warrior boy.

"Aye aye, ponytail!" As I sprinted out from cover, I could hear Katara shouting something after me, but I couldn't make out what she was saying from all the explosions and my pounding heart.

I ran towards what was left of the fountain and I could see the assassin clearly. I twisted my arms across my body, creating a landslide on the ledge he stood on. The shifting rock caused the man to jump down to the level just above me. The metal man was still gathering his bearings and this gave me the perfect opportunity to retrieve my bow. I sped towards the cliff wall where our sleeping gear was and snatched my bow and quiver which were lying beside my mat. Combustion Man fired after me, though I was now out of his range. As I doubled back around to confront him again, I saw something zipping through the air; it was Sokka's boomerang!

The aerial weapon zoomed sideways and then came back around at a crucial moment. Just as Combustion Man was about to shoot me down with his mind, the boomerang hit him in the center of his forehead. Surprisingly, the force was enough to knock the hulking man over. Of course, it wasn't enough to keep him down. "Aw boomerang!" Sokka whined once he saw Combustion Man rise to his feet. After regaining his composure, the assassin targeted me again, only he seemed to have a hard time pinning me down; I wasn't moving though. With fast hands, I reached over my shoulder and drew an arrow. I shot the projectile right when the metal man was inhaling. The arrow was right at the markings of the ripped man's head when his forehead started to spark. Then, he spontaneously combusted , taking out the ledge he had been on as well. The explosion was bright and tons of rock rained down. A gray smog cloud was left in his place and the metal arm fell, never to be seen again. And that was the last we saw of Combustion Man.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks Zuko." Aang bowed his head to show his gratitude once the brawl was over.<p>

"Hey, what about us?" Sokka gestured to himself and me. "We had the boomerang-arrow thing." He struck a pose. _What a ham! _Zuko approached us and I trotted over to embrace him.

"Are you okay?" I asked the older boy, feeling relieved that he had made it through the battle. The prince returned the hug and nodded his head at me.

" I'm fine, just a little shook up is all." He reassured me. Zuko then turned his attention to the others. "Listen, I didn't explain myself very well yesterday." The prince began. "Through the past few years I've been a lot and it's been difficult. But I've realized that I had to endure all that to see what the spirits really had planned for me. I thought I had lost my honor and that my father was the only one who could return it to me, but now I know that no one can _give _you your honor; it's something you have to earn for yourself by choosing to do something noble or what's right.

And the only thing I want right now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." This time around, the group heard him out and listened to what he had to say with great respect. Zuko also apologized to Toph for burning her feet.

"I think you are meant to join our us." Aang replied. "In the beginning, we were enemies because of our differences and misunderstandings of each other. And now, we're here setting these differences aside in a civil way. Though we're all from different nations," The avatar glanced at everyone present. "We all have a common goal. Peace. And in order to accomplish this, we must unite." The air-bender then pulled us to the side for council. He asked us if we'd be okay with adding Zuko to our team. Toph and I said yes almost immediately and Sokka said he'd go along with what ever Aang decided. Katara was extremely hesitant but she too said she'd agreed with whatever Aang's decision would be. We had come to a consensus; The prince was now part of Team Avatar.

"I promise, I won't let you down!" Zuko exclaimed enthusiastically. Katara and Aang began to walk off into the temple, followed by by Sokka who carried Toph. I hung back to accompany the prince since no one else would.

"Together again at last, eh Zuko?" The older boy smiled at me and put his arm around me as we started to walk in the direction the others disappeared to. I had missed moments like this; before I had knew about Raiden, Zuko was like my big brother.

"I did say I would come back, didn't I?" It warmed my heart to see the dark haired boy at peace with himself at last. The old Zuko I had first became friends with had returned and I was overjoyed. I nodded my head.

"You kept your promise, Zuzu." The prince chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"You know, if it was anyone else calling me that, I would've socked them in the face."

* * *

><p>Aang relocated everyone inside the temple, so we wouldn't be as easily seen as we were an hour earlier. I helped Zuko carry things into his new room. "That reminds me," The boy suddenly thought as he placed his knapsack on the bed. "My sister misses you." My ears perked up at this and I tore my gaze away from the window. "She pretended not to care back in Ba Sing Se, but I could see through that facade." The prince took out a small portrait of Iroh and stared at it for a moment before placing it down. "It killed her when we got word that you were dead." I stared down at the floor, feeling my gut turn. "I mean, it hurt me too and Uncle as well. But Azula hasn't been the same since. It's subtle because, well let's face it<em>, <em>she thinks she's this impervious, iron wall._" _I almost laughed at that comment. "But I can see the change. You two were really close, weren't you?"

My eyes shifted around a little bit. "Yeah, we were..." I sighed, remembering my life back then. "It's a shame. But we've got each other now. That's what counts." I hugged Zuko again. It was affection that the two of us needed and greatly appreciated. He and I had both gone through a lot-especially within the past year. I felt even more connected with him as I shared this tender moment with him. Then I noticed Katara leaning against the threshold.

"Can I have a word with him?" she interrupted. It wasn't exactly a question because I knew she'd barge right in regardless of our answer. I looked up at Zuko and he nodded placidly at me. I left the two of them alone and headed off to my temporary room. As I headed down the teal and beige hall, I could hear the water-bender laying into the prince. Something about how she would be watching him like a dragon-hawk and that since I trusted him she would opt to give him a chance. I felt kind of bad for the prince. Barely a half our into our team and Katara was already threatening him.

It was night when I decided to go for a walk around the temple to stretch my legs. Though it was dark out, the insides of the hallways were lined with torches so there was ample light to see. I was barely four steps out of my room when I saw the water-bender leaned against a hall pillar with her arms crossed. I really didn't know what to say to her then, so I just shoved my hands into my pockets. I felt something familiar.

"Hey," I approached her. "This is yours. I forgot I still had it." I held out her mother's necklace. I had been keeping it safe for her ever since we had first started going around incognito in the Fire Nation. The girl grabbed it from me without saying anything and I felt a little bad for having kept it as long as I did. She put the jewelry around her neck and what she said next caught me off guard.

"What was between you and Azula?" The darker skinned girl then folded her arms again. My breath hitched. _Shit..._

"Huh?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"You heard me." The Water Tribe girl remarked. My brain was running a mile a minute. I said the first thing that came naturally.

"Nothing." _Oh sure, denial, that's a good one. _

"_Do not_, lie to me." Katara warned, narrowing her eyes at me. "Especially now." I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. _How does she know? _Had she heard all of my conversation with Zuko earlier that afternoon? "I can tell you two weren't just acquaintances. I can read between the lines." She referred back to our run in with the princess during the invasion. "She got real vexed when I grabbed your arm." Katara must have pieced together some things from observing my interaction with her. At that point I figured lying my way out was pointless. The water-bender was already pissed at me, trying to cover up more truth would only worsen the situation.

"We...that was a while ago, Katara. It's irrelevant at this-"

"So you _did _have a thing with her." The water-bender interrogated me. I felt myself blush. I wasn't a fan of bringing up past relationships; especially ones that didn't end so well. And I certainly didn't like discussing the topic with someone who I was currently seeing-but I wasn't quite sure where Katara and I stood then.

"I..well-yes...but-that was ancient history! I'm over it!" I did my best to explain.

"Are you?" She questioned me. I stared at the girl blankly, not being able to believe we were having this conversation.

"Look, I know you're upset and frustrated at me for what I did, but you don't have to keep searching for more reasons to hate me. Yes, I was involved with her at one point, but that doesn't mean I'm still loyal to the Fire Nation. I've burned those ties. And if I wanted harm to come to Aang or anyone else, I would've let Combustion Man blow this place up sky high." Now _I _was frustrated. I turned sharply to take a different route out of the temple but Katara stopped me.

"What you did today was dangerous and insane." All of a sudden, her open hand collided with the left side of my face. The slap stung and I instantly rubbed the sensitive skin. "_Never, _do that again." She ordered me. Then the water-bender grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into a passionate kiss. I was so stunned by her actions because she had been so angry with me the past few days. Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach as I felt the satisfying sensation of her lips on mine. Eventually she pulled back, much to my innermost dismay. "That was for saving our skins." She told me. My brain must have shut off at some point because I leaned in to try and kiss her back but the darker skinned girl shoved me away. "You're not off the hook. I'm still mad at you." I was still in a daze because of what just transpired in the last few seconds. _Wait...what? _"And you still never answered my question, so I'll leave you with that." Katara turned away and retreated down the hall and around the corner. I stood in the hallway in utter silence. What the hell just happened?

"Did she just...did _you _just?..." I nearly jumped at the new voice. I whirled around to see Sokka holding a handful of scrolls, giving me the most peculiar and confused stare. He was also pointing to where Katara had been standing only a minute before and this caused some of the parchment to fall out of his grasp. I didn't understand.

"I thought you knew! Why else would you make that comment about me joining your tribe the other day?" I reminded the warrior boy.

"That's because I saw you flirting with Cato at the bay!" _I did what now? _I thought back to the day of the invasion and recalled conversing with one of the younger Water Tribe men. He was a good looking guy, but I wasn't interested in him.

"He asked me about my bow, Sokka! If you consider _that _flirting, then spirits help you!" I waved my arms in the air for effect. The warrior boy laughed nervously and began to fetch the fallen scrolls. He most likely felt ridiculous now for having jumped to that conclusion.

"Normally I'd ask if I could watch but um...yeah, my sister. Awkward..." Sokka twiddles his thumbs. _Really? _I slapped my palm to my forehead and slid my hand down my face.

"_How..._did you get a woman? How?"

"Because I'm the Sokkster! That's how!" I rolled my eyes at the boy and began to head down the hallway to the left. _That boy. Seriously.__  
><em>


	18. ReEducation For The Masses

Ohai everyone, here's the update that I promised! I'm going to China Town tomorrow so I'm gonna get me some sick weapons-maybe a space sword like Sokka! Anyway, like I said before, things are slowly drawing to a conclusion but don't worry, it's not the end yet so read and review please! I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

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><p>The utter silence was bliss. It was so serene I had almost forgotten that I was alive and breathing. My body was on Earth but my mind and spirit were traveling elsewhere. I was in between worlds as I saw the stars and universe around me. My vision was angled upward as I soared higher and higher, trying to grasp the white light up above. It was within my reach now-just beyond my fingertips...<p>

"Karuna."

Then my concentration shattered. I descended; growing farther and farther from the light that I had nearly held in my hands. My hearing gradually returned as the sounds of my surroundings filled my ears drums. I opened my eyes to take in the picture of the Air Temple from my perch up high on the ledges. My legs were crossed and I held my arms up; my right fingers wrapped around my left thumb and my left fingers were curled into a 'C'. I tilted my head slightly to see Katara standing off to the side. My breathing became loud and deep. The hours of tranquility vanished from me and frustration took over.

"Fucking _dammit, _Katara!" I pounded my fist into the Earth underneath me, causing the rest of the ledge to my left to crack off and plummet. The darker skinned girl's eyes widened and she took a cautious step back. "Why are you bothering me?" I had purposely removed myself from the group to meditate in peace and silence. I needed guidance for my bending, guidance for life and on the war as well and I desperately desired to consult with Kyoshi. But ever since I had seceded from the Fire Nation, I had not been able to enter the spirit world. It bothered me greatly and I had tried that morning and night before to reach enlightenment.

"You've been up here for three hours." The water-bender told me once she found her voice again.

"Yeah, so?" I remarked.

"While I'm _all _for you finding your inner peace," She looked annoyed then. "Aang needs to start learning fire-bending." I sighed, remembering that I had volunteered to teach the avatar. My own inner turmoil could wait; training Aang was the main priority at the moment. "It can't be put off any longer." I slowly stood up.

"Tell him to be ready in ten."

* * *

><p>"Okay," I began, standing a few feet across from the avatar. We stood on the main level of the outer part of the temple in an open space to ensure no damage would come to anyone or anything. The Air Nomad stood with this feet apart and his hands in front of him, at the ready. It was a similar stance that I had been taught use when waiting for instructions from a teacher. The boy looked both excited and scared. "Before we begin, I want you to understand a few things: Fire, like any other element, can be dangerous if not controlled. For this reason, fire-benders often get bad reps. But with that being said, you have to let go of fear in order to bend." Aang listened intently, his gray eyes never leaving mine. The boy nodded as he soaked in the information. "I gathered you guys ran into Jeong Jeong a while back. What did he teach you?"<p>

"Mostly breathing exercises." Aang replied. "I got impatient and tried to rush things." The boy hung his head a little.

"Well you definitely don't want to rush fire," I advised him. "But seeing as how we are a little crunched for time, we're going to have to speed up the learning process a bit. Can you show me your form? Any amount of flame you can make?" The avatar nodded and took in a deep breath. He then stepped sideways, turning his body to his left and pushed his right arm forward. A line of smoke emitted from his open palm. The younger boy shrunk down in stature and he looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, that's a start." I chuckled, trying to make him feel better. "I can tell you're still nervous-don't be." I took note of the avatar's timid posture. "You can't shy away from fire. _Be _the flames. If you don't feel the energy in you and if you're not fully into it then you can't bend it. Wouldn't you say that's also true for earth, water and air?"

Aang nodded at me. "Yeah...especially earth." He added, most likely thinking back to when Toph was teaching him. "Could you show me how _you _do it? Maybe if I see your form I'll be able to figure out how it's supposed to be done. I'm kind of a visual learner." The air-bender scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. I was one too; to me it made more sense to see what you're learning rather than just hear it spoken to you.

"Of course." I replied. "Technique is also important right next to emotion. If I show you some forms, then you can channel _your _energy and feelings into them once I've taught them to you." Aang looked as if he were in a better mood then when we started. I was glad he had started to relax. "Pay close attention, young grasshopper." I teased. The air-bender giggled and returned the friendly banter.

"I'll do my best."

I took a handful of steps back so I wouldn't run the risk of accidentally burning the kid during my demonstration. I spread my feet apart and raised my arms, palms up, to my mid torso. My chest rose and fell with my steady and strong breathing. Then, I slowly pushed my open palms forward then performed a serene clearing technique and as I outstretched my arms, I bent my knees, right foot forward and lowered myself. My right arm was extended forward and I brought my left hand up to my right shoulder for a brief moment. I made sure to keep my breathing consistent. The avatar waited anxiously because of the smooth and fluid build up. I brought myself back up to a normal standing position and as I did this I extended my left arm back down at an angle and drew my right back into a fist at the side of my head. Balancing on my left leg, I pulled my right up so that the bottom of my foot was parallel to my left kneecap. I exhaled slowly, while slightly lowering my body again. I inhaled slowly for the last time.

With swift motions, I moved my arms in opposite positions so that they were practically crossed and at the same time, I stamped my right foot against the ground. The sudden action created a louder noise than expected and I was pretty sure it made the air-bender jump. I kept my left arm bent in a 'V' shape and punched with my right at the ground. Then, I performed and overhead block, sweeping my right arm over my head. After that, I punched to the side with my left and white flames emitted from my knuckles. Then, I inside-to-outside blocked, my left fist down at my hip and my right extended into a 'V'. I crescent-kicked with my right, turning my body so that I was facing away from the avatar. Once the kick had been performed, I twisted my hands into defensive positions and curled my fingers down into palm-heels. Next, I pushed off from the ground with my left foot and side flipped in the air, kicking my right leg high up and across my body. More flames shot out from my foot. After I landed, I pivoted my feet so that my left foot was forward and my right was back; my stance was solid and firm. I leaned my torso forward slightly and slowly brought my arms from behind me and snapped them into place in front of me-hands morphed into the knuckle-punch technique. I vocalized a low k'ihap* and one last burst of white, hot flames formed around my hands, then it vanished. I spread my feet apart and thrust both of my fists down and in front of me-Choon bee* Then, I brought my feet together, placed my hands at my sides and bowed to my pupil respectfully.

It appeared as if Aang hadn't blinked once. He must have been watching me intently judging by his awestruck expression. The boy also seemed a bit intimidated. I had to admit, I felt kind of proud that he was impressed by my performance. "That's what a more advanced kata* looks like." I explained to the avatar. "Once you get started, you'll be able to do what I just did and so much more." The air-bender's face lit up.

"You really think so?" The young monk beamed at my encouragement. It was a change from Toph's harsh coaching. I smiled at him.

"I know so." Aang went into a Chun Kul Ja Shee stance* and raised his hands up mid torso. The boy moved his fingers to try and mimic my technique.

"Is this how you do it?" The avatar asked me. He repositioned his fingers a few times as she tried to remember how I had done it.

"Do it the way _you _feel you should." I guided him. "There's many different ways to do it; everyone has their own style. It doesn't just define your bending, but you as a person as well." Aang cocked his head to the side and thought about what I just said.

"That's like every bender and warrior I've met. They all do their own thing." The Air Nomad then twisted the top half of his body to the left and brought both arms together. He inhaled quickly, then turned his torso back the other way and executed a sudo with his right. The boy's hand sparked and a flash of orange appeared for a brief moment before extinguishing.

"Look at that!" I praised him. "I think you're starting to get it." Aang looked hopeful. "And remember: everyone goes to the beat of their own drum." It was then that I noticed Zuko leaning against one of the enormous wooden panels not too far away. I didn't know how long he had been observing us but he looked very intrigued. I waved him over to come join us. "I was just telling Aang how every bender has their own style-and it's easiest to see in fire-bending." I filled the prince in on our lesson so far.

"Yeah that's right." The older boy agreed. "Uncle taught me that a long time ago." Then I had an idea.

"Zuko, why don't you show Aang _your _fire-bending?" It could benefit the learning process if the avatar saw the martial art performed by a different person. At first, it looked as if the prince was going to decline. I guessed I had just caught him off guard.

"Oh...s-sure." He finally obliged. I moved over to where Aang was standing so that Zuko had space to demonstrate. The scarred boy spread his feet out in a wide horse-stance and brought both hands to his left hip. Zuko growled and pushed both arms out-his left over his head and his right out to the side. His fingers were curled, giving the illusion that his hands were claws. A flame sprouted from his right hand, but it was weak and lacked a lot of power. Aang broke the awkward silence by clapping.

Zuko looked at his hands in disgust. "What was _that?_" He berated himself. "That was the worst fire-bending I've ever seen!" The frustrated boy struck the air again and again, each time dissatisfied with the amount of flame he produced. "Rrgh!" He growled. "Why is this happening?"

A good 40-50 feet behind us, girlish laughter could be heard. The three of us turned around to see Katara sitting on some of the broken stones with her legs crossed. She had been very quiet before so she could have been out there who knows how long. The girl seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly. "Psh, and _you _wanted to be his fire-bending teacher." The water-bender jeered at the prince. The scarred boy avoided eye-contact with the girl and groaned again; no doubt he was embarrassed now too. I didn't think Katara's comment was necessary. She had already given the poor boy a hard time the other day, and now she was making fun of him.

"Shut up, Katara." I shook my head and gave her a look to let her know what she had done was very childish. Then I turned back to face Zuko. "Don't over-exert yourself." I told him. "Remember how Uncle taught us to breathe; a nice deep breath first and then you can channel a-" I suddenly stopped mid speech and cringed at at the sensation of ice, cold liquid coming in contact with my skin. After two seconds, my entire body was drenched. The boys looked at me with wide eyes, equally as surprised as I was. I bit my lip and inhaled deeply. Then I slowly turned around to stare down the water-bender who was now on her feet. I also took note that the fountain was not as full as it had been previously.

"Oops." Was all that the darker skinned girl said, but it was in such a tone where I knew she wasn't sorry at all for what she did. Though I was thoroughly soaked from head-to-toe, steam began to rise from my head and shoulders. This must have worried Aang and Zuko because both boys backed away from me. I sighed heavily and began to remove my tunic, to everyone's surprise. _Free show, everyone! _I kept on my undershirt and shorts for obvious reasons. Upon removing my primary layer of clothes, I realized that Katara had soaked me completely. After giving the water-bender one last dirty look, I turned to Aang.

"We'll resume this later." I threw my wet clothes over my shoulder and began to head into the temple. "I have to go fire-bend myself dry now."

* * *

><p>My clothes dried by the time everyone gathered around the fire for dinner that night. Somehow we had gotten on the topic of embarrassing stories and Sokka was the main subject. Surprise surprise. One would think that most of the stories took place when the Water Tribe boy was little; majority of them happened within the last three years. Teo told a few of his own so that Sokka wasn't the only one picked on. The ten of us were laughing so hard I swore we shook the temple side. And I had practically choked on my soup several times.<p>

Then Toph chimed in. "Speaking of embarrassing," She moved her head in the direction of Katara and me. I had sat next to the water-bender despite the fact that I was still ticked at her from earlier. In those moments all I was thinking about was what the blind girl could possibly be referring to. _Oh spirits, no. _I prayed it had nothing to do with a certain Water Tribe girl and myself, though there was no way Toph knew about us. "Remember when we cross-dressed to get into that one restaurant?" Oh no, this was _much _worse. All eyes were on us. Katara slapped her hand to her forehead.

"What now?" Haru raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

I folded my arms and shook my head slightly. "It was not our finest moment." Sokka roared with laughter.

"You actually did that? HA! That is _way _worse than any of my stories! Oh, that's great!" The darer skinned boy slapped his knee.

"It was Katara's idea." I pointed to the water-bender. I took great relish in blaming Katara for plans gone awry. The girl rolled her eyes at me.

"They wouldn't let us in because we're girls. So I improvised!" Zaida and Jin had joined in on the laughter.

"Yeah and then toothpick over here almost got the snot beat out of her." I added. Katara whirled around.

"Who are you calling a toothpick?"

Thankfully, Zuko came onto the scene and the discussion about the incident died. "Listen everyone." It sounded as if he had an important announcement to make. "I've got some bad news. I've lost my stuff." _What? _How would he have lost it? I watched him set up everything he brought in his room inside the temple.

The Duke raised his arms in defense. "Wasn't me!" The mischievous boy cracked me up. Zuko shook his head.

"I'm talking about my fire-bending. It's gone." _Gone? No way! _Was it possible to lose one's bending? Katara giggled at this. What was with that girl today? We all gave her a look.

"I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony. You know how it would have been nice for us if you'd lost your fire-bending a long time ago?" She explained.

"Well it's not lost, it's just weaker." The prince clarified. Katara went right back to being cold with him.

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." _Geez. The girl's on a bitchy role today! _

"...Ouch." Toph couldn't help but blurt out.

"You have my permission to toss her off a cliff." I told the scarred boy. Katara then smacked me upside the head and I almost spit out some of my soup. At least the comment got the prince to crack a small smile.

"I think it's because I changed sides." Zuko shared with us. I thought about his conclusion; it made sense to me.

"I wonder if it's because of how you were fire-bending prior to joining us." I threw in my two cents. "If you used rage and the goal of capturing Aang to fuel your bending before, you're gonna have to find something to replace that original drive with."

Zuko agreed with me. "I don't want to have to rely on anger and hatred anymore. What's _your _drive?" He asked me.

"Just...pure determination," I tried to explain the best I could. "in the form of whatever the situation calls for." The prince stroked his chin as he thought.

"I've been trying that and it doesn't seem to work for me."

"You should go back to the original source." Toph suggested.

"How's he supposed to do that?" Sokka butted in. "Jump into a volcano?" The Water Tribe boy thought that was hilarious. _Such a dumbass, Sokka._

"No." The blind girl quickly shut him down. "Zuko has to go back to whatever the original source of fire-bending is."

"Sooo is it jumping into a volcano?" The warrior boy asked again. Both Zuko and I slapped our hands to our foreheads.

"I don't know." My cousin admitted. "For earth-bending, it's badger-moles. When I was little, I ran away from home and hid in a cave. I met them there and I learned from them."

"That's pretty amazing, Toph." Aang said. I learned from the monks but they told us the first air-benders were the sky bison." The Air Nomad shared.

"Well this doesn't help me." Zuko looked down at the ground. "The original fire-benders were the dragons, and they're extinct." My ears perked up at this. _Extinct? No..._

"What do you mean?" Aang was on the same page as me. "Roku had a dragon. And there were plenty around when I was a kid."

The prince suddenly snapped. "Well they aren't around anymore, okay?" Aang raised his hands up in surrender.

"What are you talking about?" I glanced up at the scarred boy. "The dragons aren't extinct."

"Yes they are!" Zuko insisted. "Don't you remember what Uncle told us?" It seemed the older boy was misinformed.

"A while back, do you remember that supposed Uncle-Niece trip Uncle Iroh took Azula and I on? The one where after we came back Azula actually said Iroh was the coolest uncle ever...that lasted until she found a reason to dislike him again." Zuko scratched his head and thought.

"Yeah I think I do...where _did _you guys go?"

"To the old Sun Warrior civilization. It's actually not that far from here. There we met two very real, very alive dragons." I told the prince.

"You're kidding me..." Zuko breathed. " How come you never told me or any of the other kids?"

"Uncle told us to keep mum, so our lips were sealed." I shrugged. "At the time I didn't think you'd believe us anyway."

"So that's where I need to go then. The civilization." Zuko mulled the idea over in his mind.

"You and Aang should go together." I suggested. "It'll be a good learning experience for the both of you." The avatar seemed excited about the opportunity of a field trip. Katara gave us a look.

"Okay, is this really practical? We don't have tons of time to throw ar-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" I interrupted her, pointing with my right index straight up in the air. "Sifu hotwoman has spoken. They are taking this side trip together." The water-bender then glanced over at the air-bender, bewildered.

"Aang! Do you seriously call her that?" The avatar giggled, cheesy grin and all.

"Well the correct term is 'hotman' but Karuna's not a man so I changed it!"

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><p>Early the next morning, the boys departed on Appa to the ancient Sun Warrior civilization. I bid them farewell and told them that if they didn't return within two-three days I was coming after them. Aang and Zuko laughed at that and told me to hold the fort down while they were gone. Since I was now in charge, I decided to turn the temple into a boot camp of sorts.<p>

Later that day, after the prince and the avatar left, I rounded up everyone else the best way I knew how. "HEY YOU LILY-LIVERS!" I hollered into the temple, startling the group up and possibly giving a few near heart attacks. "GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE, PRONTO!" I was surprised that they all actually listened to me and came out. However, they didn't look too happy to be yelled at though. "Alright everyone," I began my spiel. "Baldy and Temper are off to learn the secret of fire-bending-which means we should be doing something productive too. And since _I _am in charge, I'm starting a game plan workshop." The group gave me a peculiar stare.

"A what now?" Sokka questioned me.

"Boot camp." I grinned deviously back at him. "So here's how it's gonna go: Jin, you go show Sokka how to defend himself." I gave orders to the Earth Kingdom girl. She shrugged but didn't complain. The warrior boy however was protesting. I honestly didn't know why the boy was complaining. He liked to surround himself with girls.

"I would have _hated_ to be in your division." The warrior boy groaned, referring to my days as a military official.

"Zaida you might want to go with them in case he hurts himself." I suggested. My short friend nodded and ventured off with the other two somewhere where they could practice.

"Teo, Duke." I looked at those two next.

"How many times do I have to say it? It's _The Duke." _The smaller of the two whined. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Uh huh, whatever. Do you think you two could come up with some ideas/plans that could be useful if we plan another attack?" The boy in the wheelchair grinned and gave me the thumbs up sign.

"Sure thing! I helped my dad come up with some things so it shouldn't be too hard." Soon after, he and The Duke went to work brainstorming.

"Katara, you go bend in the fountain" I gazed at the Water Tribe girl for a brief moment before turning to Haru next. "Then you and Toph can practice some earth-ben-"

"Wait a minute!" Katara interrupted me from explaining the plan to the long haired boy. "Who gave _you _the authority?" I brushed some fuzzies off of my tunic then glanced back up at her.

"Aang and Zuko, of course. Now bend your magic water, woman!" I hollered at her. Katara grabbed the pouch from her side and uncapped it.

"I will use this." She threatened. Before the darker skinned girl and I could get into another tumult, my cousin stepped in.

"Not so fast, Karuna." She chuckled. I turned my attention away from Katara and to the small earth-bender. "You might be a master fire-bender, but your earth-bending can be improved." She critiqued. This was actually true. Earth was my weaker element.

"Come on with us," Haru nodded his head towards the temple. "Like I said the other day, there are some pretty cool spots to practice earth-bending inside." I was reluctant at first but I eventually agreed to go practice with them. I needed it after all.

Katara crossed her arms. "Thank you, Toph, for removing the dictator." She sarcastically remarked. As I followed Haru to where we would be practicing, I glanced back at the water-bender.

"I'm still not through with you." I pointed at her. The darker skinned girl frowned.

"Likewise."

* * *

><p>"Don't be afraid to make your stance heavy." Haru coached me. "You seem to have the form down, but your foot movements are extremely light." I stood in a wide horse-stance and my fists were at either sides. I had to have been training for at least four hours. Usually I could go for a lot longer, but earth-bending was pretty exhausting. I was sweating even though the part of the temple we were in was cool and dim. There were statues carved into sides of some of the walls but most of the space was open. Initially, I was worried that earth-bending practice would distort and destroy parts of the temple, but my cousin and Haru convinced me it would be okay. We <em>could <em>put things back together if anything got too severe.

"I'm just so used to fire-bending. The movements are a lot lighter and quicker." I admitted. I forced my arms to the left side of me, hands open. I created a deep crack in the ground that ran sideways. Next I did the same with the other side then raised my left hand over my head and pushed my right out with my fingers pointing forward. An earth column rose up from the ground. I crescent kicked and half of it went flying at the wall adjacent to us.

"Well now you've gotta get used to the earth-bending style." Toph patted me on the back. "You're doing great too. I can already feel your improvement." I smiled and punched forward, splitting the rest of the column in half and sending both halves at the wall across. "Nice." She praised me. "Your offense is coming along good. Now let's work on your defense."

The two placed me in the center of the cavern and stood about twenty feet away from me on either side. "I hate to let you have it like this, Sifu, but it's really the only good way to teach self defensive earth-bender style." My cousin said. "No hard feelings, okay?" I didn't so much as nod when Toph moved her feet across the stone in swift movements and moved her hands in fluid, rhythmic motions. Chunks of the temple wall flew at me. I punched left, breaking the first one and then crossed my right arm over my left to break the other chunk. Behind me, Haru jump-kicked, sending a block fast my way. I hook kicked it, striking the stone with my heel and it broke apart against the wall.

I was in a bow and arrow stance then, with my right leg forward. I twisted my body to the left just in time as small shards of stone nearly grazed my chest. My cousin then sent a surface wave at me, and I hopped to the side to avoid the impact. I threw a palm-heel strike at the ground towards her which she was able to block easily. Haru extended his right arm out so that only his index and thumb were out, making a backwards 'L'. As he did this, thin rectangles of stone detached themselves from the wall and spun towards me. I pushed off the ground with both feet and twisted in the air. I kicked the first one with my heel as I was airborne. After I landed, I dodged the other ones by bending my torso in different directions. One rectangle soared over my shoulder and another zipped past the side of my head. Lastly, I redirected one with a quick movement of my hands. Haru hadn't been expecting that, and he ducked last minute.

"Wow." The long haired earth-bender marveled after the last stone rectangle crashed against the wall. "Towards the end there, your evasive skills really blossomed. Your movements were crane-like." I couldn't help but smile. I felt pretty accomplished.

"Gotta admit it, Sifu, I'm proud of ya." Toph grinned as she approached me. "But you already knew that." The blind girl then socked me playfully in the arm. Just then, Zaida came in from the hallway connecting to this part of the temple.

"Ah, _there _you guys are!" The short brunet exclaimed. It sounded as if she had been searching for us for a while. "Food's ready, so come get it!"

Haru rubbed his stomach. "Man am I starving." He shared. Toph snorted.

"Bet I could out eat ya." The pale girl challenged. With that, the two raced out and down the hallway. I chuckled softly as they left. My cousin was definitely one of the guys. It would be interesting to see who would end up eating the most between the two.

"How was working with Sokka?" I asked Zaida, slightly nervous to hear how it went.

"Interesting...but better than expected" She giggled. I nodded and laughed with her. _Oh, Sokka. _"You gonna come get some grub?" She then asked me. I thought about the option for a moment. Then I shook my head.

"I'll catch up with you later. There's some stuff I wanna work on for a bit longer." Zaida nodded and headed for the hallway.

"See ya in a bit."

Soon, my hand techniques were as fast as lightning. Well, maybe not that fast but quick enough. I stamped my feet into the stone in different stances and kicks, feeling myself become one with the Earth. I really made it a point to let my weight sink into my form. My hands were either open handed palm-heels or my indexes and thumbs created 'L's. Hardly were my hands ever curled into fists. I was working myself into exhaustion now. Sweat dripped from my forehead as well as the back of my neck. I wanted to make sure every move was precise and crisp; every technique had to be done right. I was so in the zone that I almost didn't hear someone calling me.

"_Karuna!" _I snapped out of it and turned my head to the left to see Katara standing by the back wall. My hands were still in defensive positions and my feet were still in their stance.

"What?" I casually responded.

"You couldn't hear me at all? I shouted your name like ten times!" She gave me a look. I couldn't resist to make a comment.

"Naw, that was last night." I grinned like a six year-old at the Dragon Boat Festival. The water-bender rolled her eyes at me.

"It's like talking to my brother." She muttered to herself. That was true to a certain extent. Sokka and I both had a similar sense of humor.

"Do you need something?" I asked as I approached her.

"They said you'd be in here." She must have been referring to Toph, Zaida and Haru. "It's late, you should get to bed." I cracked my back and then started cracking my knuckles, much to Katara's dismay. I shook my head at her. "Come on, you've been practicing for hours."

I sighed deeply. I raised part of the floor effortlessly so that I could sit for a moment. My muscles were pretty sore from the intense workout I had put myself through. "It's not good enough." I mumbled, feeling like someone else I knew. After a few moments of silence, Katara sat down beside me.

"Hey," The Water Tribe girl began. "I'm sorry I've been so hostile with you lately." She apologized. "But this is a hard situation for me. It hurts when someone you care about hides part of them from you. And in your case it was different; it was in your past. But it worries me that there are other things waiting to be dug up that are much bigger than this. And there might not be, but I'll never know unless something comes up again." I stared at the floor, feeling more and more guilty for not having told her in the first place. "I'm not angry at you anymore." Katara clarified. "I'm angry at the Fire Nation for manipulating you to do their bidding."

"Well that's a nice sentiment." I mumbled. The water-bender grabbed my hand.

"I mean it." Royal blue eyes stared into mine of gray. "You were just a kid then. They should have allowed you to be just that." I tore my gaze away from her and redirected it back at the floor. "I have to ask..." The girl started again. "The comment Azula made during the eclipse, about you wanting to lead the seize of the North...was there a reasoning behind it?"

I curled my toes and crossed my legs. "The Fire Nation had been planning that attack for a while before finally deciding to do it during the winter solstice. Back when they were still organizing the plan, I was still quite touchy about my father's death. You see, he died at sea with his fleet. It was implied that they had a run in with the Water Tribe navy...so naturally I wanted my revenge." Katara gave me a sympathetic look as I told her all of this. "I gave up on that though. Hate only leads to suffering. And once I met you and Sokka, the resentment I had left for the Water Tribe ceased."

"I'm so sorry." The darker skinned girl apologized, though it was clearly out of her control. "About everything." She then leaned into me. Out of habit, I rested my head against her's.

"Me too."

* * *

><p>Aang and Zuko returned the morning after the next. I greeted the two with bear hugs and teased them by saying I almost flew over to rescue them on Momo. The boys had apparently learned a lot during their field trip and were eager to show us the Sun Warrior moves they had acquired.<p>

"With these new fire-bending moves, Zuko and I will be unstoppable!" Aang cheered as he and the prince performed the Dancing Dragon form, which Sokka made sure to make fun of because of the title.

I snorted. "Okay, grasshopper. Bring it!" The monk was ready for the challenge and made the first move. He punched forward at me, a large fireball shot out, completely trumping the one he had created the other day. I retaliated with large, white flame of my own which literally swallowed his fire. This took the avatar by surprise and I used this to my advantage. With a quick sweep of my leg I pulled Aang's feet out from under him. I palm-heeled him in the chest to ensure that he went down. Next I turned to Zuko.

The prince seemed a bit hesitant at first. Then he side kicked with his left, sending out a jet of orange flames. I dodged his fire and drew closer. The scarred teen threw a ridge-hand with his right. I blocked it and pushed the flames away from me. Then I struck him in the side of the head, not to take him out, but enough to leave a mark the next morning.

"Yeah, you guys are pretty unstoppable." I remarked, smirking deviously. Zuko crouched down, holding his head.

"No fair! You're the White Dragon!" He groaned. Aang got back up on his feet quickly.

"Wait, _you're _the White Dragon?" The air-bender asked me.

"The white what now?" Sokka questioned, obviously very confused. It looked as if he spoke for everyone else too. Well everyone that is except for Zaida; she had been with me when I had discovered the scroll.

"It's an advanced martial art form that roots itself within a person." I explained to him.

"An extremely powerful one too." Zuko added. I wondered how the boy knew about it. In the caverns of Ba Sing Se, he looked pretty clueless when I had transformed.

"_Oh," _The warrior boy looked as if he had just had an epiphany._ "_The White _Dragon..._I still don't get it." Toph and I laughed at him.

"It's a very spiritual form of fighting." Aang explained to our teammate. "It's kind of like the avatar state, only it can be found in non-benders as well. Before I was frozen in the ice, the White Dragon was a water-bender. When you go into the form, your skill and power increases tenfold if not more. I don't think anyone has mastered the form completely."

Sokka was so intrigued by this that his mouth was literally open. "Okay...we have the avatar and the White Dragon, so...how come we haven't won this war yet?" He yelled at Aang and I. The air-bender and I exchanged a glance.

"Because I haven't unlocked the avatar state?" Aang laughed nervously, displaying one of his cheesy grins.

"And I haven't learned to control the White Dragon state?" I offered my excuse, also grinning from ear to ear. Sokka smacked his hand to his forehead.

"All you guys would need to do is get your glow on and the Fire Nation would run back home to their mommies!" Toph punched the air a few times for effect. The entire gang laughed at her input. I had to admit, that would be a funny sight to behold.

I put my arm around Aang and he did the same to me. "Well, we've got till the end of the summer to figure things out." I reminded everyone. It would give us plenty of time to prepare and train.

"Definitely." Aang agreed with me. "I've got faith in us. I know we can do it. Glow buddies for the win!" We fist pounded and then brought our hands back, pretending as if the action had created an explosion. The two of us even made the sound effects for it as well. Our friends laughed at how lame and dorky we were but Aang and I didn't care. If winning the war took being a geek, then so be it.

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><p><strong>REFERENCES<strong>**:**

*** Karuna's demonstartion to Aang: Karuna's fire-bending style is based off of Shaolin Leopard style Kung Fu  
>(just add <em>"youtube"<em> in front)**

**/watch?v=WQuYtT4Fubo  
>watch?v=2KihDirIqXg**

***Chun Kul Ja Shee: is Korean for "front stance"**

***Choon Be: is Korean for" ready stance"**

***Zuko's fire-bending is Tiger style (in my opinion at least)**

***Karuna's earth-bending forms: look something like this  
>(just add "<em>youtube<em>" in front"  
><strong>

**/watch?v=lP-acRbxwpc  
><strong>

**Also, Katara and Toph_ did_ cross dress to get into a restaurant. Their little adventure wasn't in the show but one of extra stories in the "Lost Adventures" graphic novel.**

**~Thanks for reading! Reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated!~**


	19. Prison Break

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's been a bit since the last update. This chapter took longer to write because there was a lot going on and obviously I wanted to changed things to make it original and more interesting. Just a heads up, I've **changed the rating of this fic.** I just felt like it should be** M** because I use a lot of language already, there are some innuendos too but the main reason is because of how violent things are going to get-starting with this chapter. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy! P.S parts of this chapter are influenced by Dark Knight Rises. If you haven't seen it GO SEE IT!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

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><p>"No one can make tea like Uncle. Hopefully I learned a thing or two." The prince poured a handful of cups out on a tray one night after dinner.<p>

"Iroh is the tea man!" I agreed as Zuko handed me a cup.

"Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?" The older boy then asked us. This was a surprise, it had been a long time since I'd seen him in such an uplifting mood. Everyone listened to hear what the prince had to say. "Okay, well I can't remember how it starts but the punchline is: leaf me alone, I'm bushed!" I couldn't help but snicker quietly. The rest of our group stared at the boy blankly. "It's funnier when Uncle tells it." The boy admitted as he handed everyone else their tea.

"Yeah, next time you might wanna get down the whole thing before going live, Zuzu." I teased him. The prince looked a little bothered at first because I had called him that in front of everyone, but then he cracked a smile.

"Zuzu?" Katara repeated, missing the joke.

"It's what his sister and I used to call him when we were kids." I explained. "He hated it."

"Still do." The prince chuckled as he made his way over to where Sokka sat a little ways away from everyone.

"I still can't believe you were friends with her." Toph shared. She meant Azula. "What's her specialty other than lightning? Bitch-bending?" The group got a real kick out of that one. Even I had to agree it was funny.

"You know, there was a time when she was actually quite pleasant." The group did a double take.

"What, when she was sleeping?" Toph guessed, resulting in more giggles and chuckles from those around her. My cousin, as sarcastic and unbelievably blunt as she was, always knew how to make me smile. That's when I noticed Sokka wasn't present and neither was Sokka. It only took a few moments to piece together that the two had removed themselves from the group to discuss something privately. I wondered what it could be and curiosity burned inside of me. I took a sip of tea from my cup in contemplation. _I'll figure it out. I always do._

The memories of that night came back to haunt me. My racing heartbeat, chugging along at one-hundred beats per minute. My limbs shaking from the anticipation. The heat that surrounded the duel. The blue and white flames colliding again and again. But there had been a moment from the scene in which I had forgotten. Within the blue and white fire, a cerulean light had formed. It was majestic and radiant. I could barely make out a figure in blue, shinning as I looked up at it. It was this blue light, this sapphire angel that drove me to pick myself back up and finish things. But soon the flames shrunk smaller and smaller as the scene began to slip further away.

I woke to the sounds of poor tip-toeing. I sat up on my sleeping mat and turned my head in the direction in which it came from. I was careful about how swiftly I moved because Katara was next to me and I didn't want to wake her. Sokka was slinking towards Appa and he was carrying a knapsack. _What in Agni?_ I threw my blanket off and got up. Using some stealthy maneuvering I had learned from my friend Roje years ago, I silently followed the warrior boy. I really could have walked normally if I wanted because Aang's sudden snoring would have drowned out my footsteps. At one point, he turned around to check that everyone was still sleeping and I quickly hid behind one of the wooden panels. Once Sokka started climbing up Appa, I dodge rolled to make it to the other side of the flying bison.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Sokka squealed and let go of the saddle, causing him to fall down on his butt. Someone else was up there. _Zuko!_

_"_Fine. You got me. I'm going to rescue my dad." The warrior boy told the prince. _Rescue?_ His dad had most likely been taken prisoner along with everyone else from the invasion force that had stayed behind. My guess was that Hakoda was now at the Boiling Rock-the Fire Nation's highest security prison. "You happy?" I climbed up the other side of Appa as quietly as I could.

"I'm never happy." Zuko replied and I couldn't tell if his answer was meant to be a joke or not because of the serious tone.

"Well that explains some things." I chuckled, hopping into the saddle. The startled prince gasped and nearly fell off the Sky Bison as well. Down below, Sokka looked surprised to see me. "You are _not _going to the Boiling Rock. That's insane!" I tried to talk some sense into Katara's brother.

Sokka gathered the items that had fallen out of his knapsack and turned back to us. " I have to do this. The invasion was my idea-it was _my _idea to stay when things were going wrong. _My _mistake. And it's _my _job to fix it." The Water Tribe boy proceeded to climb into the saddle.

"I'm going with you." Zuko declared.

"Me too." I agreed.

"_No. _Both of you, out!" Sokka refused. "I have to do this alone."

"How are you going to get there?" The prince questioned him. "On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison day cares." I chuckled quietly at that. The scarred boy did have a point though. Zuko then hopped out of the saddle and slid off of Appa. He beckoned for us to do the same. "Come on. We'll take my war balloon."

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><p>It was morning by the time we had gotten any real mileage. Zuko started the flames in the burner and it was smooth sailing ever since. At first, conversation was awkward because the two boys still weren't well acquainted. Eventually though we got on the topic of Zuko leaving everything behind for the better.<p>

"Did you leave behind anyone you cared about?" Sokka asked.

"Well I did have a girlfriend." The prince shared. "Mai." So the two _had _gotten together after all. I knew since we were kids that it was inevitable. A goofy grin took over Sokka's face.

"That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?" _Yep, that's the one. _There really was no other way to describe Mai.

Zuko sighed himself and a warm smile appeared on his lips. He cared for her a lot, that's why even just hearing her name brought a smile to his face. "Yeah. Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it." I frowned, feeling sorry for the boy.

Sokka leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "My first girlfriend turned into the moon." I had heard about Princess Yue before, but the way the boy described the situation was priceless.

"That's rough, buddy." Zuko sympathized. I leaned over the edge of the basket and stared out at the clouds as we soared on.

"Both of my girlfriends tried to kill me." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Both boys gave me the most peculiar look; particularly Zuko because he was unaware of how popular I was with the ladies.

Sokka struggled to find the right words. "Oh y-yeah. She was kind of violent the other day..." He referred to the incident involving his sister and I. _'Kind of?' You saw her beat the snot out of me! _Instead of changing the subject or keeping my mouth shut, I continued on.

"Oh, Azula was much worse." I chuckled. Then it hit me. _Spirits, why? _It looked as if all the color had drained from the warrior boy's face.

"Wait! _What?" _Zuko suddenly exclaimed, trying to decipher what he had just heard. His eyes were wide and he stared at me without blinking. _Dammit! _I grabbed onto the ledge of the war balloon.

"Well, I do believe this is my stop," I swung my leg over the side, about ready to die of humiliation at any given moment. "so if you guys will excuse me, I'll just be g-" I felt myself being pulled back.

"Get back in here!" The boys yelled at me and the force of their actions sent us all tumbling back into the basket.

Night fell, and we still hadn't reached our destination. Sokka was asleep and snoring soundly in his seat. Zuko tended the fire in the burner and I stood at the bow of the war balloon. The breeze stirred up my hair and it felt nice. The price then came over by me and leaned forward against the front ledge next to me. His golden eyes were staring out over the horizon; over the body of water we were flying over.

"So," The Firelord's son turned to me. "You and...my sister, huh?" The question came out kind of awkwardly. I bit my lip. I was usually pretty open about things, but I couldn't believe I was discussing it with Zuko-though the older boy was one of my best friends. "Did you two, like," He paused. "You know, um...do...anything?" I almost snorted. This conversation was growing more awkward by the second.

"Don't worry, Zuzu. We didn't partake in 'sexy-time'." I reassured him. The prince sort of looked relieved. Then I decided to be a little prick. "Though there _was _this one time where-"

"Ack! Don't tell me!" Zuko covered his ears. I smirked. _Mission goal accomplished!_

_"_Hey, you _did _ask." I reminded him. The prince's head snapped up as he glanced ahead of us.

"There it is!" He exclaimed. This woke up Sokka and the Water Tribe boy stumbled over to the front of the war balloon. Though it was dark, I could still make out the ominous looking landmass in the center of the water; steam was pouring out of the mouth. "There's an abundance of steam to keep us covered." Zuko informed us. "As long as we stay quite, we can navigate through without being caught." I took a deep breath as we approached the Boiling Rock.

* * *

><p>"The balloon's going down!" Zuko frantically sent fire into the burners but the air around us was just as hot as in the balloon; we couldn't stay airborne. Even with my help, the flames weren't enough to keep us up. "What do we do?" The prince looked to Sokka and I for an answer.<p>

"Crash land?" The warrior boy suggested. At that point there was no other option. The basket dipped into the water as momentum still sent the balloon forward. _Crap! We're gonna get scalded to death! _But luckily the war balloon reached land before giving out on us. The three of us were tossed out as it collapsed.

"Well that went well." My voice dripped with sarcasm. I stood up and dusted myself off. Sokka went over to the broken war balloon and began to push the wreckage into the water. _Good thinking. _We didn't want anyone finding us.

"I had a feeling it would only be good for a one-way trip. If you don't like it, you should have stayed at the Air Temple."

The insides of the prison were eerie and industrious looking, in my opinion; this was probably because we were outsiders in a strange place. "I hope these disguises work." Zuko mumbled. Him, Sokka and I were slinking against the walls, now dressed in red and black prison uniforms-helmets included.

"Course they will!" I reassured him. We looked just like normal guards. "If we wanna find Sokka's dad, we're gonna have to split up. Let's regroup in an hour?" The boys nodded and soon we dispersed.

It was just about the time to meet back up with the other two and I hadn't found out anything about where they were keeping war prisoners. The Boiling Rock was huge and I had only been able to scope out part of the prison. Even though I was incognito, I wanted to make sure I didn't give myself away. That was the reason I refrained from speaking with many other guards; it would look suspicious if I asked too many questions about the prison, even if I was posing as a newbie.

I got the heebie jeebies as I was rounding a corner and almost walked straight into Kenzo. I had not expected to see anyone I used to know stationed at the prison. My last run in with him had not been pleasant in the least bit and if he recognized me now I'd be screwed. I nervously inched past him down the hallway and he eyed me with curious, sepia brown eyes. _Shit! I'm drawing attention to myself! _The tall boy shook his head silently, shifted his helmet into his other hand and continued in the opposite direction. _Phew!_

My heart was still beating faster than usual when I made my way onto one of the balconies overlooking the courtyard. I figured that I'd be able to see better from above in case the boys were down there. I realized that only prisoners were down below. Then, I noticed two other guards standing on the other side of the balcony. They were both about the same height and didn't exactly look like they belonged there. "Hey there, fellow guards..." the paler of the two began. "How goes it?" I snickered.

"Boys?" Both lifted up the visors of their helmets to get a better look at me.

"Karuna?" Sokka grinned, looking relieved it was me and not someone else.

"No, I'm Koh. Who do you think?" I remarked, lifting up my visor as well. "And shh!" I warned him. Though it seemed like we were the only ones up there, I didn't want to take any chances. "How's the reconnaissance going? I haven't asked around much because I'd be too easily recognized in this environment." Zuko sighed and shook his head.

"I asked around in the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners...it looks like your father's not here." The darker skinned boy was in disbelief. He kept repeating 'no' and then slammed his fists against the iron wall behind us.

"We came all this way for nothing! I failed." He slumped against the wall. _Aww, ponytail..._Zuko went into some confusing advice to help cheer up the Water Tribe boy. I stopped listening a few moments in because I noticed something. I grabbed onto the rail in front of us and peered down at the courtyard. Though all the prisoners were dressed in similar red uniforms, I was able to find a familiar face. The fiery brunet sat on a flattened boulder; her blue eyes were filled with discomfort, yet hope as well. _Suki_

_"_Zuko, no one cares about your silver sandwich!" I cut the prince off. The boy turned around and stared at me peculiarly. I pointed down below. "Hey boomerang, look! It's your forever girl!" The Water Tribe boy followed my gaze and when Suki was in his line of vision, I thought hears had replaced the boy's eyes.

"We're busting her out!" Sokka sped through the exit of the balcony with me at his heels and a very confused Zuko followed us.

* * *

><p>We were able to locate Suki to let her know about our escape plan, but at the expense of Zuko's identity. He attacked a guard that was about to go into Suki's cell. Sokka and I had no choice but to play along and arrest him in order to keep our cover. The warrior boy and I found him later in one of the corridors with Suki. The two were mopping up the floor along with other prisoners close by. Sokka and I ushered them over behind one side of the staircase to discuss the plan.<p>

"I checked out the coolers again." Sokka informed us. "They're designed to keep fire-benders contained so they're insulated. This also means that they keep heat out. It's a perfect boat for getting out of the boiling water." He explained. I had to admit, the boy was a genius at times. Zuko and Suki looked at one another, clearly feeling differently about the warrior boy.

"The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?" The prince asked. Sokka nodded.

"When I was going around the perimeter earlier, I noticed a blind spot between two guard towers-it would be the perfect launching point." The Water Tribe boy relayed the rest of the plan to us. "All we'd have to do is follow the water's current and stay quite. Then bing bang boom! We're home free."

"Sokka, you know I could just earth-bend an escape route for us using the hot spot outer walls, right?" I double checked. The tan boy gaped at me and started sputtering incoherently. Suki rolled her eyes and continued our conversation.

"Well you might have to do that if we run into any problems...how are we gonna get the cooler out though?" Sokka pulled out a wrench from his uniform and handed it to the prince.

"We're gonna have to take it apart from the inside first." Zuko took the tool and hid it in the shirt of his prison uniform.

"I know how to get you in." I told the scarred boy, remembering the incident in the courtyard when we had first arrived.

My back was against one of the walls as I pretended to be monitoring the prisoners who were mopping. Zuko was in position and was drawing closer to me with his back to me. I timed it perfectly so when I started to pace forward, the boy accidentally bumped me with the mop handle. I instantly went into character. "Hey! What are you, stupid?" I grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him aside. He was thrown off lifted him off of the ground but he remained in character once he regained his composure.

"Hey, don't shove me!" He bit back, thrusting his open palms at me. The prince did it in a way that it sounded real but barely made contact. I staggered back, pretending to have been struck. I pointed a finger at him.

"You're gonna find yourself in serious trouble for striking a guard!" I raised my voice so that our tumult could be heard. Soon, other prisoners had gathered around us and were making a ruckus. I shoved the scarred boy back a few feet and then he came at me with a hook punch. I took him down in the most gentle way I knew how; I grabbed him by both arms and flipped him over my hip. I made it look like I threw him harder than I actually did. When the prince scrambled back on his feet, he punched out a fireball at me. It wasn't real big so I jumped over it with ease. More guards appeared out of thin air it seemed.

"No fire-bending. Take him to the cooler!" The one who had spoke was Kenzo. Two other guards hauled Zuko off within seconds. _Yes, it's working! _"The rest of you, back to work!" I almost had a mini heart attack when Kenzo addressed me. "You good?" He asked. _Shit, what do I say? _He'd recognize my voice if I said anything. _Maybe not though..._It had been a long time since I had spoken to him last.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah." I replied in a rougher voice than usual. Kenzo nodded and slapped me on the back. After that, he stalked off down another corridor. I breathed a silent sigh of relief then glanced up above to smirk subtly at Sokka and Suki who were on the second the level. Now it was time to play the waiting game.

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><p>Some time later, Sokka and I snuck around to the section of the prison where the coolers were positioned. Sokka yanked both doors back, emitting chilled air into the corridor. Inside, the prince was crouched, head down. "I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson." The Water Tribe boy crossed his arms. He was really taking this guard act seriously. Zuko slowly raised his head, exhaling a small flames as he did.<p>

"Yes, I have." The scarred boy smirked. He held the ends of his uniform top, cradling all the bolts and screws. _Nice job, Zuzu! _Sokka lifted up the visor of his helmet and leaned in closer.

"We just let Suki out of her cell a few minutes ago. She'll be waiting for us at the shore." Suddenly my ears perked up.

"Someone's coming!" The sound of footsteps down the hall drew closer. Zuko yanked Sokka into the cooler, then grabbed me and shut the door quickly. Instantly, the chilled temperature crawled up my skin, creating goose-bumps all over. I could see my breath clear as day as I exhaled. I looked down to see a familiar hand wrapped around my waist. "Uh, Zukes?" Another nickname I had for him. "You can let go now." The scarred boy snapped out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry." He let his arm drop. The three of us knelt down and put our ears towards the cooler door.

"Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn." A man's voice said.

"Anybody interesting?" The female's voice he was with sounded so familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Naw," The man shrugged. "Just the usual, some robbers, couple traitors, some war prisoners..." The three of us glanced at one another simultaneously. No wonder we hadn't been able to find anyone; they hadn't been admitted to the prison yet.

"It could be your dad." Zuko whispered to Sokka. The warrior boy closed his eyes and simply nodded. It was evident that he was contemplating on the situation. "Well, what should we do?" The prince asked. "Go ahead with the plan or wait another night?" I could tell Sokka was conflicted.

"I-I don't know!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. " Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom-_all _of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad might show up?" The Water Tribe boy had a point. We didn't know for sure if Hakoda would be part of the new arrivals. I sighed.

"The guy did say war _prisoners." _I pointed out. "This means that all the others could be arriving as well. We could break _everyone _out." Sokka stroked his chin as he mulled the idea over. "Before we decide anything, we should go meet up with Suki first."

* * *

><p>"Took you guys long enough." The Kyoshi warrior teased as she helped us roll the cooler down the slope and to the shore. Though we were under the cover of darkness, I couldn't help but fear that we'd get caught. Once we got the cooler onto the level ground, we pushed it sideways to slowly ease it into the water.<p>

"Everyone in the cooler, let's go!" Sokka ordered. Suki and I hopped in and waited for the boys to follow suit. Sokka retrieved our old clothes and his space sword from underneath a rock.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" The prince asked him." You said you wanted to redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance." At this, Suki slid out of the cooler and over to her boyfriend.

"Your dad?" Sokka sighed.

"If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's better to call it quits before you fail." He shrugged his shoulders and slung his sword and sheath over his back. I jumped out of the cooler and joined the three.

"No. You can't just give up. Failure is an essential part of growing-you learn from experience and can better yourself from it." The warrior boy began to retreat to the cooler but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Just because there's a possibility you might fail, it doesn't give you a good enough reason to quit." I told him. The boy came to a halt and sighed deeply.

"Then I'm staying." He finally decided. "You guys leave and get out of here." He turned to Suki. "You've been here the longest. Go with them. I'm not risking your freedom." She took his hand off of her shoulder and held it.

"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka." The Kyoshi warrior declared.

"We're staying too." Zuko pulled me into a side-hug. I grinned. _We can do this! Just one more night._

* * *

><p>"The gondola's moving!" Sokka informed us. The four of us had our backs pressed against the iron wall of one of the outside balconies. He and Suki were in front while Zuko and I were in back. We all waited anxiously for the new arrivals to show their faces. "This is it." The gondola had just arrived in its station. "If my dad's not here, we've risked everything for nothing." I was nervous too, but I was still hopeful. Slowly but surely, the new prisoners began to file out of the gondola. Many were tall and strong but none were the Water Tribe chief. "C'mon, c'mon." Sokka prayed through gritted teeth. It seemed as though all the arrivals had stepped out and for a moment the four of us hung our heads in disappointment. Then, the last prisoner stepped off. Determination sparkled in his blue eyes, showing that his spirit could never be broken. His familiar hair loopies were unmistakable. Hakoda had arrived.<p>

One the new prisoners had been assigned to their cells, Sokka went looking for his father. I stood outside Zuko's cell to keep him company. Some time later, the warrior boy came back. "Guys," he began, positioning himself on the other side of the cell door. "I just got done talking with my dad. We came up with an escape plan together." He barely had time to finish his sentence when we were interrupted by two guards.

"What are you doing here?" They asked us. _Dammit! What do we say? _Luckily, Sokka was already on it.

"We were just telling this dirty low-life what we think of him!" It was a pretty good excuse actually.

"Well you'll have to do that later." The male guard said. "He's coming with us." What? Why would they need Zuko? Where they going to turn him in to his father? I desperately hoped that wasn't the case.

"Why?" I asked them.

"Cuz we have orders from the Warden. _That's _why!" The female guard snapped. I knew that voice was familiar. Not just the sound but her tone as well. And being able to see her face this time helped trigger my memory, even if she was wearing her helmet. It was Naomi. _How many of them are here? _It worried me that more people from my childhood were associated with this place.

"Can't I get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?" Sokka asked. Both guards rolled their eyes and agreed to the condition. I remained in the hall while Sokka was able to quickly relay the new plan to Zuko. For a short moment, an awkward silence washed over me and the two guards. Naomi eventually yanked open the cell door to stop Sokka from "roughing up" Zuko so they could take the prince away. The male guard leaned against the threshold and gave me a once-over.

"Hey, I'm Jiro. What's your name?" He tried in a cool-guy kind of voice. It took everything not to punch him in the gut. Guys like him bugged me like no other; cocky and suave. I simply rolled my eyes and turned away from him. The guard named Jiro shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself." At that point, Naomi came out with Zuko. As Jiro went to grab the prince's arm, he adjusted something around his neck. It was a gold pendant attached to a black cord. A leopard was engraved in it. My eyes widened ever so slightly. _How...? _It was my father's necklace. One that he had given me before leaving on his final conquest. The scumdogs! How did they have it? Did they raid my house once I was proclaimed "dead"?

"C'mon. We've gotta let Suki know what's up." Sokka nudged me once the others were out of earshot. My blood boiled.

"That guy's got my necklace." I informed him through gritted teeth. "I'm getting it back." The warrior boy grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back before I could go off in pursuit.

"Karuna, no offense, but risking our plan just for a necklace isn't a good idea. We'll get you another one." I tore away from his grip and turned to face him.

"That necklace was given to me by my father. He's dead now so, no, I _can't _get another one." The darker skinned boy looked a little stung by the harshness of my words, but then he nodded curtly.

"Do what you have to do. Meet us in the courtyard in an hour."

* * *

><p>It took a little while until he was alone, but I was able to finally catch up to Jiro. I wanted him isolated so that no one would sound the alarm. The jerk was heading down a narrow corridor which was empty and had poorer lightning than most of the others. He stopped suddenly and turned. Upon seeing me behind him, he smirked. "So you want to get acquainted after all, dollface?"<p>

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "You have something of mine." I said in a level voice. Jiro chuckled to himself and the smug look from earlier returned to his face.

"More like I _will _have something of yours." The more I stood in his presence, the more disgusted I felt. In a flash, I struck him in the temple with my heel. As he came crashing down to the floor, I kneed him in the face and grabbed him by the front of his uniform. Then I slammed him into the adjacent wall. The guy had barely been able to elicit a gasp before I had knocked him out cold. I dragged him by his uniform over to an unoccupied cell and threw him in. I knelt over him and yanked the necklace over his head and returned it to its rightful place on _my _neck. Then I stood up and exited the cell, slamming the door closed behind me and leaving the unconscious guard locked in there.

I raced through the prison corridors to find the entrances to the courtyard. Everything looked the same and I hadn't committed the perimeter to memory yet. The gang was expecting me and I was on the opposite side of the prison. I came to a halt when I saw a cell door fly open about ten feet in front of me. And out came the assassin in maroon and black robes. "Mai!" I couldn't help myself from hollering out. The raven haired girl turned her head sharply to gaze at me, knives grasped tightly I her hands. Without thinking things through, I pulled my helmet off and tossed it over the ledge. It clattered once it finally hit the ground below.

"Sankari..." Her voice was barely audible. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same." Somehow it brought me joy to see her again.

"Zuko's here..." She finally said. There was pain behind her amber eyes. I nodded.

"I know. I'm with him." Why I was telling her all of this, I wasn't quite sure. The older girl's face had confusion written all over it where a standard stoic expression used to be.

"I don't get it, Sankari. Why? Both of you are betraying your country." Her grasp on her weapons tightened. I paused for a moment then shook my head.

"That might be so, but the Fire Nation is betraying the world." I explained to her. "We're not sharing our wealth and prosperity. We're tearing down the other nations to create a super power. And for what? It's not about pride for our country anymore. It's about doing what's right. It's not about standing by idly and blindly taking orders. It's about discovering the mask that was placed to cover up the truth from you, and tearing it down." I sighed as I looked upon her face; a certain understanding could be found in her eyes. "Maybe someday you'll realize this, Mai." I pushed off the ground and into a jog. I couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Sankari!" The governor's daughter called after me and I stopped at the opening of another hallway. Sorrow and pain was on the assassin's face. "I won't fight you." She declared, throwing the knives to the ground. I inhaled deeply as I stared at my dearest friend.

"Then don't." I responded. "Take off your mask, Mai." I turned on my heels and took off into a run.

* * *

><p><strong>Sokka's POV<strong>

I fidgeted in anticipation. So far, everything had gone right. All the prisoners had been let out into the courtyard, just as planned. I found my dad and Suki. Now all we were waiting for were Zuko and Karuna. "Where are they?" I asked for probably the fourth time that minute. We couldn't launch the next stage in our escape plan without them.

"Be patient, Sokka." Suki advised me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Her affection gesture helped me relax some. My dad scanned the scene.

"We did have to move on with this in a timely manner, however." He said. "We can at least start the riot now. They'll be able to find us." I glanced to the left to see Zuko running towards us.

"Good! You're here." I breathed a sigh of relief. The prince looked around for a moment with golden eyes after he had caught his breath.

"Where's Sankari?" I blinked and at first didn't understand what he meant. _Who the-OH!_

"You mean Karuna?"

"Yes!" The scarred boy clarified.

"Why does she have two names?" I wondered.

"She was adopted I think...Listen! Are we just waiting for her or? What do we have to do now?" Zuko snapped us back into focus. The truth was, I didn't know what our next move should've been. My dad was right; we had to keep moving on with the plan, but at the same time I didn't want to go without Karuna. What in the world could she be doing? _Come on..._I had to make a decision, and I could feel the pressure. Unfortunately, one was made for us. The prison bells went off and the doors back to the inside opened simultaneously.

"Prisoners! Back in your cells!" The Warden demanded from high up on the balcony. A good number of guards came out to enforce the order. _No! _This couldn't be happening. If only we had had a little more time. Now we'd have to start all over from scratch.

"This isn't right." I expressed to the others. "We have to find Karuna." But soon, Suki and my dad were ushered away by some of the guards. Then I felt myself being seized by the arms. "Hey!" I tried to fight my way out but they were clearly stronger than I was. Things looked bad. Really bad.

* * *

><p><strong>Back to Karuna<strong>

My boots clinked against the metal floor as I ran. The clock was running out. I needed to regroup with everyone outside. Rounding the corner down one of the main chambers in the prison, I nearly screeched to a stop because of who was present. The Fire Nation princes, accompanied by Ty Lee, was reprimanding a handful of rookie guards-by the looks of it. I threw myself against the wall adjacent to the threshold. I shimmied slightly over, back against the wall. I hoped none had seen me. I looked down at my hands for my helmet then realized that I had taken it off at least ten minutes ago. I carefully peered around the threshold to see what exactly was going on.

"Are you telling me, that you're so incompetent that you couldn't even keep a prisoner stationed in his cell?" The guard whom she spoke to looked as if he was going to piss himself. "You had one simple task..."

"N-no princess!" The guard practically shook with fear. "We had Prince Zuko held up in here-"

"_Had." _Azula cut him off, emphasizing the word and the skittish guard lowered his head in shame. "My brother is gone as is my patience." The princess narrowed her golden eyes. "You are of no more use to me." Quicker than lightning, one hand was at the back of his head and the other at the side of his jaw. She pulled in opposite directions, evoking a clearly audible _Snap! _I cringed at the sound as I watched his limp body slump to the floor. Next to the princess, Ty Lee looked a bit sickened as well. Looking as remorseless as usual, Azula turned to her counterpart. "Go find Mai and begin the search. My brother isn't the only one among us." The acrobat barely hesitated before carrying out the orders. She led the rest of the guards present with her through the other end of the main chamber.

My body decided it wanted to wretch then. The noise tipped off the princess and she tore her gaze away from the deceased body at her feet. Golden eyes met gray. _Fuck! _I sprang up from my crouched position on the ground and sprinted back the way I came. Azula was right behind me and it seemed as though the princess' speed had increased since our last encounter. Making a quick and dangerous decision, I pushed off from the rail beside me and cleared the gap, landing on the other side of the sector.

"Sankari!" She called out to me. I stared at her from across the platform. There was enough distance between us where neither could really do much to the other. "What in Agni are you doing here?" There was no point in beating around the bush because she already knew I was here.

"I'm with Zuko. We're freeing our friends." I proudly stated.

"I can understand my brother, but you? Why?" The princess marveled at the idea. "Why are you fighting with the avatar?" The threatening tone in her voice was gone. She simply wished to understand.

"Because I believe in a better world, Azula. One where no nation seeks to take control." I responded. The princess still wasn't getting it, however.

"What about everything you used to stand for?"

"My creed has changed." I shrugged. "We were told that the war was the Fire Nation's way of sharing its greatness with the rest of the world. Well look what that's done! The world hates us and resents us!" The princess' hard gaze began to soften slightly. "My drive isn't gone, it's just fueled by something else; hope." Azula shook her head and sighed darkly.

"Now you sound like that pathetic water-bender." She snapped at me. Though Katara and I weren't on the best of terms at the time, I still took offense to the comment.

"Don't bring her into this." I warned Azula. "This is between you and me." Katara had no place in this argument. "You think you can-you think you can end that poor boy's life and then come preach to me that what _I'm _doing is wrong?" I began to change the subject. The princess' cold stare returned and she glared at me once more.

"Your ledger isn't exactly clean itself if I remember correctly." Her words took me back a year ago into the Fire Nation. The horrible memory of my past began to eat away at my insides. _That was different! _I tried to convince myself. _I was avenging Sameer!_

"Fine. We both have blood on our hands." I agreed, following the rails around to cautiously approach her. "But what are you suggesting we do about it? I'm trying to _redeem _myself, Azula. What are _you _doing?" The princess attempted to keep her stone cold gaze, but I could see it slowly falter; her walls were coming down. There had only been a few other times when I had seen Azula this remorseful and deep in thought.

"We could leave." Her voice was much quieter and lacked the normal level of confidence.

"What?" I gaped at her.

"We could get out of here-runaway." I almost forgot how to breathe for a moment. I had not been expecting this kind of response from the princess. _Leave? _Was she out of her mind? "Sankari," she continued. "Think about it. We could start over. Then we wouldn't have to be a part of this anymore. We could go now and nobody would have to know-just you and me." My mouth was a gap slightly. What shocked me more was that she was serious. The temptation started to creep into my conscience. But I forced myself to think realistically.

"You can't be serious." I stared at her in amazement and denial. "Drop everything and leave? We're in the middle of war here, we can't abandon everything!" We couldn't...could we? Where would we go?

"They can sort out their own problems." Azula insisted. "I don't care about any of that anymore if it means I can be with you." She pulled the royal hairpin out of her topknot and held it in her hand. My heart skipped a beat and a half. I didn't think the princess still cared about me. But I couldn't leave. What would the gang think? _No one has to know..._We had to end the war and I had to fulfill my teaching duty. _He has Zuko. _The prince could help Aang master fire. _They'll be fine. _My decision was rash and reckless. I nodded at the princess.

"Let's go!"

The princess and I raced through the prison corridors, navigating towards one of the few exits. In the back of my mind, I couldn't believe we were doing this. I didn't know what in Agni we were going to do once we got outside. We needed a way off the hot spot and I couldn't earth-bend us to land-we were in the middle of an ocean.

"We'll take my airship!" Azula seemed to be reading my thoughts. _Of course! _How else would she have arrived at the prison? In those moments, my spirits rose. I felt truly happy again, and the thrill of the spontaneity ran through my veins. As we dashed, I turned back to glance at the princess who was only a few feet behind me. The prison didn't matter to me anymore. The dim lights, conformist feel and cold atmosphere were things of the past now. I reached my hand out to her and she reached her out for mine as we approached the exit leading out to the guard towers. I could feel my heartbeat in every part of my body in those final seconds. Everything was right. And then it ended.

"Princess Azula!" A scruffy man's voice caused us both to freeze. Standing at the end of the hall was the Warden. _No..._My gut dropped. We were so close. "What are you doing?" Fear was behind Azula's golden eyes-almost the same fear she showed underground in Ba Sing Se. What would we do now? We had to take him out so no one else would follow us. As I twisted into a defensive position, I felt a quick jab at my neck. A hit to the back of my knee caused my legs to start to buckle. The next thing I knew, I was thrown to the ground and the princess' foot was on my back.

"Capturing one of the imposters since your forces lack the ability to do so." She declared, without missing a beat. _No...she's not doing this! NO! _I tried to wiggle out, but I felt strangely numb all of a sudden. Things were not looking good for me. Some guards were summoned and they pulled me up to my feet. Though my legs felt like jelly, I was still able to stand somehow. The Warden approached me.

"What is this..." A dangerous smirk appeared on his lips. "Well, well, well. It looks like General Sankari has come back to life." I glared up at him, displaying my determination and strong will. I would not be intimidated by him. "You've picked a poor place to respawn. You'll do time for your heinous treason. And we do not tolerate, treasonous scum. Welcome to hell, General."

They took me away and held me in one of the interrogation cells. I was now garbed in the same blood-red uniform as the other prisoners. They had me strapped to a chair so I couldn't escape. I couldn't believe this was happening. I could only hope the others were okay. There was no indication that a riot had started which worried me. _What are they doing? _My friends had to get free from the clutches of the Boiling Rock, with our without me. I didn't care if I was left here to suffer, just as long as my team could flee safely.

I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't see the princess keeping vigil outside my cell. "I was wrong about you." I called out to her. My voice was strained and weak and I half expected her to ignore me. Azula slowly turned around to face me and stepped into the room. Her curious expression cued me to continue. "I thought there was more to you than your title." Her golden eyes narrowed at me. "I thought that deep down, you still loved me." The princess' mouth twitched slightly. "But when it all boiled down to it, you only cared about saving yourself-" _WHAP! _My head turned sharply to the left. My right side stung from the strike. I could feel the cuts that her nails had created. Azula drew her hand back.

"Then I guess you still don't know me!" She growled before retreating. A single tear had formed in her eye but was never released. Just as she was exiting, the Warden arrived with several guards.

"Excuse us, princess." He bowed respectfully. The guards came in and unlocked the restraints. They hoisted me up onto my feet, each taking a hold of an arm. I struggled against their grip and tried to pry out of it. My efforts were in vain, however. "Take her to the Chamber of Reckoning." The Warden exchanged a look with the guards and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>I awoke face first on the dusty ground. I lifted my head to take in my surroundings. I stood in a pit that was in the shape of a large circle. About twenty-feet above was a ledge that went all the way around the circumference of the circle. And twenty-feet above that was another. <em>What in Agni?<em> There were cells in this place too, only they were made of bars. The prisoners clambered against the iron to peer down at me. Their faces were withered, grimy, and defeated. I slowly stood, gazing at the platforms above me. Surely this was underneath the Boiling Rock. Everything about the chamber screamed underground. Then I noticed my friends up above on the first ledge. Their hands were bound behind their backs and each was monitored by a burly guard.

"Sankari!" Zuko hollered out at me, but then was quickly silenced by two of the guards. I winced as they hit him. _No.._Because of me they were here. I did this. Everything was my fault, and now they were going to pay the price.

"Fear not _Prince _Zuko," the Warden scoffed as he said the boy's name. "You'll soon be joining her. This is a reminder of how we deal with traitors!" The bitter prison director looked down at me again. "Let us see what breaks first...her spirit, or her body!" A mechanism was set off and a buzzing sound rang out. To my left, an entrance door was rising; behind it was nothing but darkness. Then, out of the shadows lurched a huge, hulking man. His arms and torso were extremely large and built up. On his face was an iron mask, similar to one the engineer had on inside the Drill we stopped in Ba Sing Se. His physique was quite intimidating, but I had fought big individuals before. I had my bending after all.

I took a stance and and waited for him to draw closer. The large man turned his head to both sides, cracking his neck. A tingling sensation started in my finger tips. I punched out at him, only there was no flame. _What? _I spread my arms apart, attempting to earth-bending the second time, and still nothing. I stared at my hands in disbelief. _Why is it not working?_ What had they done to me?The powerhouse of a man was towering over me then. I glanced up at him nervously, thinking of what do to. I drew my arm back, planning to go for the vitals, but the man beat me to it-striking me hard in the chest plate. I hit the ground, several feet back and groaned. The force of his hit was incredible and the wind was knocked out of me for several moments. After a small coughing fit, I rolled back onto my feet and stood again. Though I couldn't understand why I was unable to bend, I knew I had to keep trying. _I can do this. _My father trained me in various forms of martial arts. I'd have to rely on myself as a weapon instead of my bending.

I went in for a quick jab, and my fist made contact with rock-hard muscle. I hit him with an uppercut to the jaw next, but he barely flinched. The man came down and cracked me on the head with an elbow strike. Back I was on the ground, cradling the back of my skull. I couldn't let the pain slow me down though. I quickly recovered and unleashed a furry; I hurled my fists at him, pushing him back some. I slammed into him with my shoulder to try and knock him over, but the man took all the blows like a punching bag. His enormous fist came across my jaw and there was no doubt that it was broken.

"AHH!" I hollered, from the pain and crouched down. I tried repositioning my jaw myself, and even though I was able to pop it back into place, it wouldn't heal correctly if I kept on fighting. I charged at the man in the iron mask, aiming at his mid section to take him down. He kneed me in the stomach, and I doubled over from the blow. I had only been kneeling for seconds when he grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me onto the ground. My body hit the the floor hard. I barely had time to draw breathe when the masked man body slammed me further into the dirt. I could feel at least two of my ribs crack from the pressure. The hulking man backed off, waiting to see if I'd get up or not. Though it pained me to, I rose again. I threw another punch but it was sloppy. The masked man caught my arm at the wrist and bent it over my head, forcing me down. "RGHHH!" It wasn't just ordinary pain, but uncomfortable pain as well. He kicked me in the chest and I rolled back a few feet.

The blood from my mouth hadn't stopped pouring out yet, and my arms were now covered with scrapes and bruises. My abdomen still ached from the powerful blows it had took a short while ago. _Aww fuck!_ The powerhouse came at me again, elbow first. I rolled out of the way and scrambled to my feet. He missed me by mere seconds and hit the dirt ground instead. I scanned the pit frantically, searching for any possible way out. I saw some cracks and deformations in the stone walls surrounding us. I scurried as fast as my body would allow me and began to climb. There wasn't a whole lot to grip onto on the stone and I had to make do with what I could find. The fear clung to me as I climbed on. I was about nine feet up when I looked back to see the masked man closing in on me. I started to climb faster but then I miscalculated a step and started to slip. A beefy hand clamped onto my leg and yanked me down. I face-planted onto the ground again. When I lifted my head, crimson blood ran down from my nose as well. How was I supposed to beat this guy?

Suddenly, I felt myself being dragged by my leg again. I desperately tore at the ground as I tried to fight the pull. Blood oozed out from my ripped finger nails. He threw me into the side of the pit. I raised my arms to lessen the blow, but it did nothing to soften the impact. As soon as I was down I was picked up again. I twisted to face my antagonist just as his fist rammed into my head again. The strike sent me back to the ground. My equilibrium was off when I stood again, and I wobbled a bit. Before I could even plan my next move, the masked man dropped kicked me; his feet plowed into my knees and I could feel the cartilage snap. "GAAHHH!" I screamed out in immense pain and collapsed. _Shit! Fuck! Damn!_

Looking up into the platforms, I could see the princess standing next to the Warden. She looked on painfully and it appeared as if, for a moment, she had regretted turning me in. But then she turned away from me, clearly wishing to see no more. The powerhouse grabbed me by my neck and hoisted me up high into the air. My airway tightened as I stared into the lifeless iron which stared back at me. "..ackk...gah..w-who a-a-are... you?" I managed to choke out.

"The first of many." His voice sounded almost mechanical and it was distorted. I half expected the brute to be a mute. "We are the reckoning." With one hand he gripped my leg, turned my body sideways and brought it down, crushing his knee into my back. A loud _CRACK! _could be heard. _MOTHER FUCKER! _He tossed me against the back wall in a limp pile. I could barely catch my breath. Every time I inhaled, my chest tightened painfully. I began to wonder how many broken bones there were in my body. I somehow managed to pick my head an inch off of the ground. My attacker was still a few yards away. He seemed to be waiting for me to get back on my feet. _That's not gonna happen._

I couldn't kid myself, in the condition I was in there was no way I could continue with the fight. _I'm done for..._ The sweat and grime ran down my face and into my eyes, slowly effecting my vision. Up above, I could see my friends, looking on with terror. Zuko looked as if he were about to jump in to rescue me. The boy would have too if there was no one there to restrain him. I had failed them. And now they would suffer the same fate as me. Mai was among the spectators. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene. The pale girl looked very uncomfortable and her stoic expression was beginning to morph.

In the center of the balcony, the Warden called down to my antagonist. When the masked man's attention was caught, he was tossed down a Morning Star*. "This should speed things up a bit." He chucked darkly. My heart was in my throat. I couldn't let the man keep attacking me, or I'd surely be dead. I eyed the spikes on the club and gulped, feeling how dry my throat really was. I attempted to lift myself up, torso first but then collapsed again. My body was too weak to continue. As the powerhouse drew nearer, I laid my head down on the dirt and closed my eyes, waiting to meet my untimely end. I had given up. I was done. _I'm sorry guys...I'm sorry._ That's when I heard it; a voice from up above.

"Deshi!" It came from one of the prisoners. "Basara!" As he said these words, he looked down at me from behind the bars which contained him. His hair was matted and dark and his facial hair unkempt. But there was hope in his eyes, and determination in his voice. He said the phrase again, and at first he was alone, but slowly, more voices chimed in, creating a chant. "Deshi! Basara!" The volume began to slowly increase as more voices joined in. The Warden and the guards looked around to see how this tumult had started. I could see them rattling the bars to discourage the prisoners from up above. But the voices were persistent. "Deshi! Basara!" Suddenly, I felt some of my energy return. I tightened my fists and prepared myself or the last stand. The hulking man flipped the weapon in his hand once as he took his sweat time making his way over towards me. The call became faster.

"_Deshi deshi! Basara basara! Deshi deshi! Basara basara!_"

A serge of adrenaline pumped through my veins and I was ready to go. I inhaled deeply and exhaled clamly. I slowly brought myself to rise, standing as proud and majestically as I could. With the injuries I had acquired, I shouldn't have been standing at all. The spirits must have favored me. The canting soon echoed off the walls of the chamber, loud and strong.

**_"Deshi deshi! Basara basara! Deshi deshi! Basara basara!"_**

The powerhouse moved in on me, Morning Star raised. That's when I looked up into the balcony to receive a miracle. In the midst of the ruckus, Mai took down one of the guards and pried his weapon away from him. Her amber eyes locked onto mine and seconds later, she hurled the mace towards me. I charged forward to grab it and used my attackers knee as a step-stool. I swung my club at the side of his head with full force and didn't hold back any. I came back around and struck the other side as well with just as much power. Finally, I raised the mace over my head and brought it down in one sweep, denting the iron on the man's face. The powerhouse stopped in his tracks then fell forward onto the ground with a loud _THUD! _He did not move again.

The balcony up above had it's own problems. My friends had been able to break free thanks to Mai's help, and they were fighting off the guards that were among them. Someone must have broken the cell bars because soon the prisoners were filing out. The riot had begun. _Thank you. _I prayed to the spirits. I felt my knees start to buckle and I dropped the mace to my side. Zuko glanced at me from above and pulled himself out of the fight. On the ground, the last thing I saw before my eyelids dropped was the prince landing in the pit.

* * *

><p>The rest was a blur. I know I didn't escape by myself. I remember being held. The familiar arms of my childhood friend were wrapped around me, holding me tight. I felt safe and at ease. I remember there was running; lots of it. Once we reached sunlight, I had to shut my eyes tight to block out the blinding brightness. We must have been able to go along with the original plan because I can recall being inside the gondola. I remember seeing the clouds up close, so we had to have taken Azula's airship to escape. As soon as we were out of range of the Boiling Rock, I was out again.<p>

"What the heck are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?" A comforting female's voice sounded. We had to have been back at the Air Temple because I'd know Katara's voice anywhere. "Oh my god! What happened?" The water-bender cried when Zuko carried me into the temple. As my eyelids opened again, I could see looks of horror and sympathy on my friends' faces.

"We went to a Fire Nation prison." Sokka responded, helping Suki and his father out of the wrecked airship. Katara was overjoyed to see her father, but at the same time couldn't tear her eyes off of my severely beaten and broken body.

"Please, you have to help her." Zuko pleaded. "You're the only one who can heal her." His voice was shaky and a bit unstable. He followed the water-bender over to the sleeping mats with me still cradled in his arms. He set me down gently, and stayed by my side as Katara began to inspect the injuries.

"Okay, this is going to be painful as well, but you'll have to bear with me." Katara coaxed me through it. The healing process was almost as painful as receiving the injuries had been. She started with my jaw first and I could feel my mandibles snapping back into place. That didn't feel too good. Then, she went onto my knees which were heavily bruised and in poor condition. The water was soothing but in a torturous way. I wanted to pull away, to stop any agonizing feeling but I knew the Water Tribe girl was trying to help me. So I grit my teeth and took the pain.

"What were they saying?" Zuko asked. The scarred boy held onto my hand or comfort sake. "In the pit-what did it mean?" Curious golden eyes seemed to search for answers. I groaned, feeling the bone in my knees fuse. But I looked up at the prince, despite the excruciating feeling I was enduring.

"Rise."


	20. So When's My Life-Changing Fieldtrip?

**Author's Note:**

Well shit...I've been gone waaaay longer than I meant. Sorry guys, between my Marketing and Brit Lit class, I've been swamped. And as of this week I've been assigned to come up with a short horror story and hand in the rough draft TUES...yeah nope :p I also hope everyone had a good Halloween and stuffs! I went as Robin (Damian Wayne version)

Sooo this chapter and the next (which will have to do with EMBER ISLAND PLAYERS XD will be easing into the Badassery of the FINALE! So the end is coming you guys, but don't be sad :D I promise it's gonna be good! So thank you for not losing faith in me, my lovelies (at least I hope o.o) and enjoy!  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>It had literally been a prison <em>break. <em>A good portion of my body had been broken and I was out of commission for a while. I had had nine healing sessions with Katara since returning to the temple. Each time was slightly better than the last. I could feel my strength beginning to return slowly. I knew it would take time before I was myself again, but I was ever hopeful.

I saw on the edge of the fountain next to Katara while she finished resetting my knee-caps. Then she used some of the water nearby to touch up my jaw. "Okay, those are looking better and your ribs have made good progress-they should be healed in the next few days." I nodded in response, feeling relieved that my body was recovering faster than I expected. Then, the water-bender had me turn so that my back faced her. "Oohh..." She began as she examined that side of me. I didn't know what to make of her vague observation, but I hoped it wouldn't be anything that couldn't be fixed. I could feel her fingers trailing down my spine to further study the condition of my bones. "Oh spirits..." Katara whispered to herself.

"What?" I asked, not wanting to be kept in the dark about my health and well being.

"It feels like something's out of place." The water-bender told me. "But I can't quite tell what yet." She carefully lifted my undershirt over my head so that I was just in my bindings on my top half. Then, the darker skinned girl paused once more. I held my breath, waiting. "You have a bone protruding from your back." Her voice was slow and heavy. I swallowed, and the saliva felt thick like molasses. _How do we fix it? _My thoughts were scattered.

The Water Tribe girl called out to anyone close by at the time to give her a hand. Zuko happened to be near and he brought over one of the sleeping mats just like she asked. He placed it by the side of the fountain and stood by, seeing if he could help in any other way. "I'm gonna need you to stand up." Katara slowly helped me to my feet. Ever since I was able to walk again, I automatically hunched a bit because of the injuries to my spine and back. "You need to stand up straight." That would be an issue. I tried to straighten out my spine but soon felt sharp bursts of pain. I quickly returned to my original stature. "You've gotta stand up straight." The water-bender repeated. She knew it pained me to do so and she helped coax me through the process. I bit down hard on my lip and and rolled my shoulders back to straighten out my spine. My lips soon became numb and started to bleed as I continued to bite in order to take my mind off the extremely uncomfortable feeling in my back. "Zuko, brace her." She instructed. The scarred boy complied and held onto the sides of my arms.

Katara then stood behind me, getting ready to go to work on the problem at hand. "This will be over soon. It's gonna be okay." The Water Tribe girl grimaced; I could tell without seeing her face because I could hear it in her voice. I swallowed again, doing my best to ready myself for what would come next. Moments later, I felt Katara's tender hands push into my back.

"GAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed, as the agonizing feeling of bone being pushed back into flesh coursed through me. My voice echoed throughout the temple and it was a miracle none of the cliff dwellings collapsed. I began to lean forward because of the force Katara had on my back, but Zuko was there to hold me up. Those few moments felt like centuries as Katara set the bone back in place. It felt as if everything, muscle and tendon included, was on fire. Even the water that Katara soon summoned from the fountain couldn't sooth this excruciating ache.

I sunk to my knees because of the pain and Zuko knelt with me to brace me. Soon, tears began to run down my cheeks because of how much it hurt. I didn't even try to stop the water from leaking out of my eyes; being strong wasn't a priority. Getting through the pain by any means necessary was. "It's almost done." Katara sympathized as she listened to my cries. "I promise." The water rolled back and forth between the bones and muscles, tightening and restructuring that part of my body. It felt as if it would never stop, but then the pain began to die down. I was able to breathe again, though all I was able to take in at the time were shallow breaths. The agonizing feeling began to lift and I thanked the spirits that it was done. "It's over." Katara sounded just as relieved as I was. I sighed heavily and shifted my posture a bit.

"Careful." Zuko warned me. He seemed very concerned about my movements after the treatment. I understood why he was worried, but they couldn't expect me to keep my spine completely straight at every second. I nodded silently at the prince and tried not to bend too much. Katara added a few wraps to my bindings in order to ensure the injury was kept tightened.

"It looks ten times better than it did a few minutes ago.," the water-bender told me. "But it will still take a short while until you're good as new. You can lie down if you like but not on your back obviously. Oh, and no bending for a couple of days." She added.

I stared at Katara in disbelief. "What?" The word was thick in my mouth as it came out. Half of me heard her clearly, the other half was just a little slow.

"No bending, fighting, running," the darker skinned girl listed off. "or any other strenuous exercise. You have to take it easy or you won't heal right." Katara knew what she was talking about; she was the only master water-bender her age for Agni's sake. The girl was an expert healer as well, and there was no doubt she was right, but I couldn't get over the fact that I couldn't do _anything _until my back healed. Katara frowned. "It _won't _be for much longer, Karuna. Just work with me here, please." I really had no other option but to oblige; I wanted my strength back, so I would have to take things down a notch for a little while.

Zuko helped me stand again. "Let's go for a walk." He suggested. It sounded like a good idea to me. Katara rolled up the sleeping mat and then turned to the two of us.

"Be careful you two. I'll see you a bit later. See if you can figure out what the others are up to. It's gotten _too _quiet."

I felt much better physically and mentally compared to the last few days. Though my spirits were a lot higher, the pain hadn't completely gone away; my body still felt pretty sore. Zuko let me throw my arm over his shoulder and for extra measure, he gently braced his arm around my lower back. Being able to move around was nice, especially when I had been bedridden at since coming back from the Boiling Rock. The warm sun felt soothing against my skin and I didn't mind the sounds of birds and other various critters in the background. It was good to hear nature again. I had grown quite fond of the temple, as had the others.

Then, out of the blue, Zuko asked me, "What happened at the prison?" The new-found warm feeling that I had acquired started to fade. I looked at him as if I didn't quite understand. In truth, I wasn't exactly sure what he was asking. "Well, what went on with you while we were separated?" The older boy rephrased the question. "You never met up with us in the courtyard the second time." I swallowed slowly, recalling the events that had occurred only days ago. For a split second I felt almost...sick. I shook the feeling away and then answered my friend.

"Um, I ran into Mai." Curious, golden eyes met me. "I thought she was going to turn me in at first." I admitted, feeling kind of ashamed for doubting one of my best friends. "We both exchanged some...words, but I think we both got something out of it." When I had left the rave haired girl in the corridor, the look of an epiphany was etched in her face. I had never seen an expression more opposite than her usual stoic one.

"She found me as well." The prince shared. "She saved us." He seemed just as surprised by this as I had been. Though I was glad we were able to sway her over in the end, I had not expected her to take such actions. I nodded.

"She's a good friend." I sighed, knowing well that 'good' couldn't even begin to describe it. No word could be used to paint a picture of how dear a companion she was to me. "And she really does love you." Zuko smiled warmly and nodded in understanding. I could tell just by observing his expression that he felt the same way about her. "I...also ran into Azula again." My tone darkened slightly at the thought of the princess. Zuko's smile faded as well. The two of us walked on in silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say to one another.

"I don't understand how you two were a couple." The scarred boy finally expressed. "I mean, she's so...difficult, cold and sharp. And you're so...not." I shrugged my shoulders at this. It surprised me the specific reasoning why Zuko seemed skeptical about that past relationship.

"Opposites attract you know." I chuckled lightly, remembering a phrase that was often said. "There's a lot more to your sister than you think." Zuko snorted and shook his head.

"No there's not."

"Yes there is."

The prince exhaled slowly. "She lives to make peoples' lives miserable. Ever since we were little, she's gotten a rise out of seeing others in pain. You remember this, don't you?" I nodded my head after a moment, recognizing that there was truth in the boy's words. "She's not a good person, Sankari. Not like you or Aang, or-"

"I have my faults too, Zuko." I cut him off. "Plenty of them." I did not want to be held on a high pedestal, thought of as this 'oh so righteous' being. "I'm far from the definition of 'good'." The scarred teen eyed me peculiarly. He seemed surprised that I had taken offense to his compliment. I could practically see the gears shifting in his golden eyes.

After a few minutes of more silence. He turned his head sideways to look at me and said, "I've always thought you were good." The boy's words helped lift my heavy spirit. "And your flames," he continued. "the white resembles strength through benevolence and pureness of heart." I stared at the stone beneath us and became lost in thought for a moment as the words found their way into my head. "It's a shame that not many fire-benders have those traits."

"Your uncle is one of the small few," I spoke again, eyes still glued to the ground. "And I've failed him as well." The last part was said mainly to myself.

"What?" Zuko asked, catching only half of what I had said under my breath.

"Do you remember two years ago when I found you out at sea?" The boy thought for a minute and eventually nodded. "Iroh made me promise to use my gifts wisely. I've made so many mistakes since then and I have no real control over the White Dragon." I hung my head in shame. I thought about my time in the military, trying to uphold my father's legacy. I thought back to when my treasonous actions nearly got me killed in the Fire Nation.

"The prince put his arm around me again as we continued to walk. "You know, a good friend of mine told me one time, that your past shouldn't hinder your future." Something seemed familiar about what he was saying. "You can't linger on what _has _happen rather than what _will _happen. I know you can figure out what you need to do-you're in control of your own fate, Sankari. No one can tell you otherwise. What you've done before doesn't necessarily define you now as a person." I smiled at the prince, realizing that our heart-to-heart underneath Ba Sing Se had stuck with him. It looked like all the life lessons and parables from Iroh were paying off.

"Azula's been the same cruel and manipulative person for as long as I can remember. If she hasn't stared to change yet, I doubt she ever will." It sort of surprised me to hear sorrow and worry laced in his voice. Thought it seemed as though he held only resentment towards his sister, Zuko really did care about her. I personally didn't believe the Fire Nation princess was evil, like most of Team Avatar did. I thought she was severely misguided. There was a difference between the two after all.

Then the conversation went back to Zuko's initial inquiry. "I just don't understand how you could put up with her." The prince plucked a leaf off a nearby vine. "Especially in a relationship setting. She's so controlling." I had to agree with him on that one. The princess did like to have things her way. Zuko let the lead blow off the cliff side by the wind. We watched it waver until it eventually blew out of sight down below. "She just, brings out the _worst _in people." The older boy sighed. No doubt he was thinking about all their altercations and negative memories in their sibling-hood.

"Well _I _was able to bring out the _best _in her." I shared, recalling my seeing of the other side of the princess. "Or so I've been told." I remembered being what seemed like the only one who could keep her relaxed and at bay during our childhood.; this carried on as we grew older as well. A look of sadness and subtle remorse was shown on Zuko's face.

"Then you'd be the last hope for her."

* * *

><p>Later that night, I joined everybody by the fire to eat. Though the excruciating pain had left earlier that morning, all of my back and spine still felt very sore. Bending certain ways didn't feel too great and this made it hard to sit in certain positions. There was a spot open next to Zaida and I made my way over. Jin helped me down because she realized I was having a hard time. "Take it easy there." The Earth Kingdom girl advised me.<p>

From across the circle, Suki addressed me. "How are you feeling?" Concern was evident in her light blue eyes. I sighed and itched the back of my neck. I felt exhausted yet I hadn't done anything at all that day. I couldn't wait to be back to my old self.

"I'm hanging in there." I answered the Kyoshi warrior. "It's fun, you know?" I chuckled sarcastically. She offered a crooked smile in return and laughed as well.

"As long as you're enjoying yourself." She teased me. I grinned in response and then Zaida handed me my soup. I took the bowl gratefully and felt the warmth of the contents. I brought the bowl up to my mouth and began to indulge. It tasted like komodo-rhino meat based broth. It was pretty delicious.

"You eat soup weird." Sokka looked at me funny. I soon realized that I was the only one in the group who wasn't using a spoon. Toph elbowed him in the ribs.

"Unlike you, it's just her eating habits that are." She jeered. Hakoda and the blind girl laughed the loudest out of all of us. I grinned from ear to ear and continued to drink my soup the way I had always done.

A short while after dinner, I noticed that Katara was sitting with Aang. The Water tribe girl had been spending a lot of time with the avatar ever since we made camp at the air temple. Though I hated to admit it, I felt slightly jealous; Katara used to spend almost every moment of the day at my side and now we barely were in each others presence. Maybe it wasn't what I thought it was, but the air-bender had had a crush on Katara for a while. The kiss between the two during the invasion didn't help convince me otherwise too. I knew I shouldn't have felt envious ; mine and Katara's relationship was very complicated at the time. We weren't exactly separated, yet we weren't together either. It was hard to say.

I scowled to myself, the bitter feeling still present, then picked myself up off the stone. Since Sokka and Zuko were spoken for as well as out of the question, I decided to go chat up the only single guy around my age. You guessed it: Haru.

"What's shakin'?" I asked, sitting down next to him.

"You could be...if you know what I mean." The long haired earth-bender replied with a mischievous smirk. His humor caught me off guard for a split second, but I soon wound up laughing with him. One would have thought we were old friends the way we connected in those first few moments. "I'm just kidding. You... probably think I'm really weird now." It was quite the contrary. I wasn't expecting the perverseness of his answer, yet I still found it humorous.

"Eh, no weirder than me." I shrugged with a smile. I asked him how he knew Aang, Sokka and Katara and he told me about the time they visited his village. He also told how they had freed the other earth-benders in his village from an overseas Fire Nation prison. It was strange but the more I spoke with him, he reminded me of Sameer. Of course, Haru wasn't quite as jumpy or wired as Sameer had been, but it was the little similarities really; his devotion to his friends, his pride for his bending and what he believed was right. And though I didn't know the earth-bender boy very well, I found myself sharing things with him I wouldn't tell just anyone; the death of my parents and of my adopted father, the lost feeling that kept coming back, all of my uncertainties. I just felt like I could trust him and felt comfortable talking with him. One might call it an 'earth-bender connection', as silly as it sounds, but that's what it felt like.

At one part of our conversation, this sudden feeling of dread took told of my gut. I'm not quite sure where it came from, but I felt anxious. Haru noticed I was acting a little off. "You okay? If you have to toss your cookies, please don't do it on me." He chuckled. I shook my head at him. I didn't feel nauseous. I actually couldn't really describe the feeling.

"I'm not sick...I just have this weird feeling-a gut instinct or something." Haru raised an eyebrow curiously and waited for me to go on. "I think we should leave the temple soon. I...we've been here a while now and I don't think it's a bad idea to consider relocating." If we stayed in one spot for too long, we'd be sitting turtle-ducks. We also had to figure out how we were going to win the war now. All our reinforcements were either captured or in hiding, which meant we needed a plan of action soon.

"Well this is a pretty good spot." Haru glanced around the temple. "Besides Zuko and that assassin, nobody else has poked their heads around. I'm pretty positive this safe haven will do us good till it's time to act again." The earth-bender boy seemed very confident that we were in goods hands. I figured I should relax some as well; everything would be okay. I was simply over-complicating things as usual. Later, when I laid down to go to sleep, the sores in my back seemed to lift and I took this as a good omen.

* * *

><p>I abruptly woke to the sounds of exploding stone. My heart was practically pounding right out of my chest as I carefully rose to my feet. Once I took in my surroundings, I saw Aang already on the defense, sending back bombs projected at the temple with his air-bending. Soon, Fire Nation airships were visible; a small fleet it seemed. They had found us after all. The ships had already taken out one of the bridges connecting to other parts of the temple, and were closing in. Aang sent a giant gust of wind towards the enormous panels attached to the columns surrounding us. They shut, acting like a barricade for the time being. We still weren't exactly safe however.<p>

The ceiling shook and stone above began to crumble. "Lookout!" Zuko cried, as he launched towards Katara. The prince was able to get them both out of the way in time, but the water-bender didn't seem too grateful. The ground underneath us rumbled and shook some more, and this distracted me from my left. One of the blasts hit a side column, resulting in chunks of stone projecting at us sideways- particularly at _me. _My head must have been in dreamland, which would explain my non-existent reaction time, because I froze up.

"Get down!" All of a sudden, I was grabbed by the back of my tunic and pulled into a crouching position close to the ground. What luck! A moment too late and I would've certainly been in trouble! I glanced down at the arms that held me carefully. The seemed...feminine. I looked up at my savior to see the concerned face of Suki. "You Bei Fongs have a knack for close calls." The Kyoshi Warrior teased. I found my voice again and chuckled silently.

"What can I say? We laugh in the face of danger!"

"Well you're lucky you still _have _a face to laugh with." The brunet pointed out. This was quite true and I was very thankful for her actions. Suki then pulled us back on our feet and off towards the tunnel my cousin and Haru earth-bent as an escape route. The whole group started filing in, but then I noticed Zuko remained where he stood.

"Go ahead-I'll hold them off!" He shouted over his shoulder to Aang, who was trying to coax Appa into the tunnel. Seconds later, the scarred boy darted off over the crumbled panels and towards our attackers.

"Zuko! Wait-no!" I started to jog after him but then realized it wouldn't do me any good at all to chase after him. All the muscles in my lower back began to ache again; particularly the one that connected from my leg to my back. Suki grasped my arm and pulled me back before I could go any further.

"He can handle himself." She reassured me. "We have to go. _Now!" _She was right. If we didn't get a move on soon, the whole cliff side would crumble. I could feel the very earth give way beneath me and knew it was only a matter of time.

We were having a hard time ushering App into the tunnel. The Sky Bison was not a fan of the underground in the least bit and he wasn't budging whatsoever. "Aang. He _has _to comply." Katara told him. "There's no way we can fly out of this." The nomad continued to tug on the reins of his animal friend, but Appa kept resisting. Sokka sighed, contemplating our scarce options. The Water Tribe boy turned to his dad and our friends.

"We'll have to split up. You guys take the tunnel and get out of here!"

"Where does it lead?" Jin asked, concern lined her voice. We all stared into the darkness of the tunnel.

"I'm not sure." The darker skinned boy admitted. "But Haru will lead you all out. Hopefully you can get to the stolen airship. That's your best bet." The plan sounded alright and though it wouldn't be my first decision to separate it seemed the only feasible solution. Katara objected however.

"No! The Fire Nation can't separate our family again." At first I thought she referred to just her brother and father, but then I realized it encompassed everyone else as well. Hakoda reassured his daughter that they wouldn't be apart forever, and the siblings said their goodbyes to him. In the short moments we could spare, Team Avatar bid farewell to our friends and comrades. I thanked Haru for mentoring me, Hakoda for his support and inspiration and Teo and the Duke for all their help.

"Stay sharp." Jin advised as she embraced me. "Things are gonna get nasty before they get right again." I nodded in understanding. _Take care, _I sighed. I would certainly miss the Earth Kingdom girl. Though our first encounter was a controversial and strange one, I had a great amount of respect for her after I got to know her.

Zaida hugged me next and I dreaded the idea of leaving my best friend yet again. "I'll see you soon!" She promised, as optimistic as ever. I held her tight. She was like my sister and I considered her family. I hoped she would be right, because if not...well, I couldn't even begin to think about that. Then, she looked past me to address Aang. "You're not alone." She declared, lifting her bangs to reveal the hidden arrow tattooed high on her forehead. The avatar's eyes widened in realization and he gaped at Zaida in utter silence. All this time he had thought he was the last of his group. It must have seemed to surreal to him. Everyone else was equally surprised but we couldn't let it distract us for too long. Soon the others retreated into the tunnel to get away. Aang stared after Zaida with a certain glint in his eye, like an epiphany had struck him dead on.

I climbed into Appa's saddle, with the help of Suki, to join the rest of the team. Toph felt the sides of the stone wall before hopping up to sit with us as well. "If we fly out this way, I can clear away all this rock." I rose to my feet.

"Let me help you." No sooner had I volunteered, Katara yanked me back down.

"No. You can't bend now-you haven't finished healing!" I was about to argue further with the water-bender, but then Aang readied App for take off. Seconds later, we were soaring up and forward; a small barricade of rocks remained in front of Appa for a brief moment. They fell once blue fire came in contact with them. The flames could only have been made by one person...Those were my last thoughts as something heavy and solid struck me in the back of my head. I fell face first in the middle of the saddle and then my vision went dark.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, we were gathered around a campfire and I was laying on the grass among them on top of a sleeping bag. The moon was full, indicating nightfall had occurred. I glanced around quickly, soaking in my environment. We seemed to be stationed on some open plains near the ocean. It took about two seconds before this pounding sensation erupted in my head.<p>

"She's alive!" Sokka's goofy voice was the first I heard. I raised my hand up to the base of my skull, to the root of the throbbing, and felt a nice sized bump. "It was much more swollen before Katara worked on it." The Water Tribe boy informed me. "You've been out for _hours. _You had us worried." I sighed heavily and wiped the sleep out of my eyes.

"Spirits, why do I keep getting these injuries?" I mumbled into my hands. My friends laughed, and though I knew it was with me and not at me, (at least I hoped) it didn't make me feel any better. I shook my head. "Anyways...what I miss? I'm assuming we got away." More chuckles resulted from my last comment.

"Zuko saved us!" Sokka relayed the events to me. "He fought off Azula so we could escape safely!" Everyone raised their cups in unison and cheered 'To Zuko!' Well, everyone except for Katara. The Water Tribe girl scowled subtly and removed herself from the rest of us. Her actions were a bit strange and puzzling. And the matter seemed pretty rude.

"What's Sugar Queen's deal?" Toph asked, sharing my exact thoughts. None of us had an answer for her.

"It's so weird being enclosed." My cousin shared. She stared up at the top of the tent though she could not see. I had to agree; it was the first time in a while where we had camped out in tents. The tents did help whenever the weather was cold, but I preferred sleeping out under the stars. I laid on my stomach with the side of my face pressed against my pillow.

"Yeah, it's a bit different than what we're used to." I agreed with her. "I don't know if this is gonna make us stand out more or less." From a birds-eye view, one would certainly spot the tents, but then again they'd probably still see us if we didn't have them either. Toph shrugged her shoulders and twirled a piece of wheat grass around in her mouth. Then, the opening of our tent flap lifted up and in walked Suki.

"Wrong tent." I cracked a smile. "Sokka's across the way." Instantly, the Kyoshi Warrior's face went flush. She stammered for words.

"What...? I...who said I was looking for Sokka?" The brunet protested. I raised my eyebrow at her and she gave me a weird look. I closed my eyes and shook my head. _Yep. She was definitely going to see ponytail. _"Have either of you seen Katara? She's been gone since dinner." Suki changed the subject. Toph lazily shook her head. I hadn't seen the water-bender either so I had no answer to offer.

"Want me to go look for her?" I asked, slowly rising to my feet.

"No need." Suki dismissed my offer. "I'm pretty sure Aang and Zuko are looking for her. Can't imagine she's gone far. Just keep an ear out, okay? I'm not sure what's wrong. She seemed fine until tonight." I didn't understand Katara's bitter mood either. From what I could pick up, she was still on edge with Zuko. Would there ever be peace between the two?

"We will." I confirmed. Then she bid us goodnight and exited. A sudden silence washed over the tent but as soon as the warrior was out of earshot, Toph glanced over in my direction with a smug expression on her round face.

"How much you wanna bet she's going to see Snoozles after all?"

"My thoughts exactly!"

* * *

><p>"Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" Was what I heard Aang ask Katara when I woke up the next morning. <em>Oh, she's back. <em>The avatar was feeding Appa some hay while addressing the water-bender. Zuko carried a knapsack with him which led me to believe the answer would be yes. Katara confirmed my prediction by telling Aang she needed to borrow Appa.

"What's going on?" I asked as I approached the three.

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." Both mine and the air-bender's eyes widened. This trip that the two were going to take would have a definite purpose; they weren't just going to locate the person responsible.

"And what do you plan on doing once you find him?" I questioned her, though already I had a general idea. The Water Tribe girl stared at me with distant and disheartening eyes, yet said nothing.

"Achieve closure and justice." Zuko spoke for her. "She needs this." The scarred boy really believed that? I sighed and shook my head.

"No. You're going to get even. The one who seeks revenge digs two graves." I recited a saying my father had told me once in passing. I remembered how horrid the concept was from my own experiences. The night I succeeded from the Fire Nation would stick with me forever. The blood would never be clean from my hands- avenged blood no less. The damned spot would never come out, no matter how many times I had tried to wash it out.

"Fine! Katara snapped. "So what if that _is_ my plan? It's what he deserves. It's what's fair." The grave tone in her voice led me to believe that she was dead serious about this one.

"Life isn't fair," I reminded the water-bender. "Well all get screwed over at one point or another. You can't just go around delivering justice as you see fit. It's not up to you to do so." I looked up to the sky, gazing at whatever spirits and higher powers might have dwelt up there.

"She's absolutely right." The Air Nomad backed me up. "You're starting to sound like Jet." My ears perked up at the mention of the Freedom Fighter. Like Jet? How so? _What in Agni..._Katara whirled around to face us again.

"It's not the same. Jet attacked the innocent!" What was she talking about? No. Not Jet. Not _my _Jet. He would never. "This man...is a monster." Determination shown in her ocean-blue eyes.

"Whoa, wait..." I stepped in, my confusion clearly displayed. "What's this about Jet?" No one seemed to hear my inquiry. Either that or they figured it would be too painful for me if I knew the truth.

Sokka paused the making of his flower necklace and joined the four of us by Appa. "Katara, she was my mother too. But I think they might be right on this one." I was surprised that Zuko still sided with the Water Tribe girl. I assumed it was because he wanted to earn her full respect and trust.

Then, the water-bender said one of the coldest things to her sibling that I had ever heard. "Then you didn't love her the way I did!" The Water Tribe boy's eyes widened immensely at her remark. Hurt and disbelief were written all over his face. I felt for him; his sister was just angry and probably didn't mean what she had said. "Now that I know he's out there, now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no other choice." This definitely wasn't the case. There always is another option. Aang seemed to be reading my thoughts.

"But you _do _have a choice: forgiveness." The avatar did not want her to go through with this. I didn't want to either; I was afraid her rage and resentment would make her do something she would regret later.

"That's the same thing as doing nothing." Zuko argued. There was a bitter tone is the prince's voice too. _Everyone's grumpy today..._I still couldn't believe that he of all people supported Katara's decision to go seek out vengeance.

"No it's not." Aang stood his ground. "It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive." I was impressed at the kid's wisdom. The monks had certainly taught him well. Katara wasn't convinced though.

"It's not just hard. It's impossible." The girl stormed off and Zuko went after her.

* * *

><p>"I hope she does the right thing." Aang sighed mainly to himself. The Air Nomad sat on one of the rocks around the fire pit. He looked worried and I didn't blame him. After the conversation had the previous morning, I kept thinking about Katara and Zuko's trip as well.<p>

"I think she will." I shared, taking a seat beside him. "She's angry now, but it'll pass. Katara has a good conscience- I have faith in her." I secretly wondered what her decision would be upon finding the man responsible for her mother's death. I wanted to believe that she would choose not to unleash her wrath, but that was a tough call. After all, _I _wanted revenge when I learned that my father had died. It was a natural reaction I suppose.

Aang smiled wryly at my input and his spirits seemed to rise a little. He nodded in silence and straightened out his stature. "So...Zaida's an air-bender?" The avatar changed the subject. I nodded in response. "A real air-bender? How come she never told us before?"

"I..guess she didn't feel she needed to." I shrugged, offering an answer. "She's been so used to hiding it her whole life that maybe it's second nature to her." I would never have known Zaida was an Air Nomad had she not revealed her tattoos and bending to me. She had learned to blend in well.

"But how is that possible?" The monk was suddenly doubtful. "All my people were wiped out in the attack one hundred years ago." _Well I doubt she tattooed herself for kicks, baldy. _I had to think back to stories Zaida told me about her heritage.

"She told me that her great grandmother left the Easter Air Temple in her youth and lived in the mountains of the Earth Kingdom." Aang gave me his undivided attention. "Because her family went into hiding they survived the genocide. When I met her, she was all by herself...she never told me what ended up happening to her family. I don't know if she has them anymore." Aang gave a sympathetic look. Of course he could relate to her; he was an orphan as well. It kind of surprised me that I had never thought to ask her about her family until now. All this time I thought I was alone in this world, and Zaida most likely had _no one. _

"She has her mastery tattoos." The avatar observed. "She must be good. How old is she? It's not common to receive those so early. I'm an exception because, well, I'm the avatar." Aang chuckled.

"Zaida's my age." I answered him. "Maybe a year older or so." I soon realized that was another question I had never bothered to ask her. I was starting to feel like a crummy friend. "I'd say she's a talented bender from what I've seen. It was very rare that she would air-bend, due to fear someone would find out." I explained.

"I can't wait to see her again, after all of this is done." The Air Nomad expressed. "There's so much to talk about- so much to ask her." Excitement lined his voice and shown in his light, gray eyes. Then the boy grew serious for several moments. It seemed as though he was contemplating something. "Do you think we'll have to repopulate?" The air-bender suddenly asked me. His voice had dropped to a quieter tone. I almost chocked on my saliva. Had I a drink in hand and it would've surely been spewed all over the grass.

"Say what?"

Aang's cheeks grew a subtle pink and he twiddles his thumbs. "Well, Zaida and I are the last air-benders. Is it our duty to repopulate to save our race?" I could tell he seemed uneasy about this subject. For a split second I felt hopeful; if the monk was considering getting together with Zaida, that meant he'd be sacrificing Katara. Wishful thinking clouded my mind and distracted me from the bigger picture.

"I think you should end up with whomever you choose, buddy-not solely for 'duty' purposes." I voiced my opinion. Aang stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"She is nice though, and pretty...and funny too!" It sounded like the boy was trying to convince himself that this was what he needed to do. I couldn't just sit and let him talk himself into the idea.

"But do you really have feelings for her?" I asked. "You should be with someone because you _want _to. Not because you _have _to. I mean, maybe the two of you get to know each other and the chemistry is there. Great. But you shouldn't make that decision based on obligation instead of love. You shouldn't even be thinking about marriage and reproduction stuff yet-you're twelve right?" I laughed, nudging him in the shoulder.

"One-_hundred _and twelve!" He poked me back, with a grin on his face from ear to ear. I bopped him playfully on his arrow and crossed my arms.

"Whatever. You're plain old twelve to me, kid." He'd forever be like a younger brother in my eyes. Though I did have to admit, the boy had really grown and matured since I had first met him. Aang was definitely going to go far.

* * *

><p>Towards early afternoon, I found Suki doing some stretching exercises in the clearing. I headed out into the plains to join her, seeing as how I'd eventually have to regain my flexibility one way or another. "Hey there." The warrior girl greeted me once I sat down near her on the soft grass. I leaned forward with my leg extended and grabbed onto the bottom of my foot with both hands and held the stretch. It wasn't too bad; nothing felt strained yet.<p>

"So I was wondering," I started to ask her, during the midst of our warm-up. "If you'd like to help me get back into shape." Even though I'd only been injured for six days, I needed to get back into the swing of things.

"I'd love to," the brunet replied. "but didn't Katara strictly forbid you from doing anything of the sort?" I shrugged my shoulders and titled my head to either side as an answer.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." I didn't think it would effect my healing too much by getting a little training in. Suki gave me a curious stare before complying.

"Alright, but if you do something to permanently screw your body up, don't say I didn't warn you." I nodded eagerly. Part of me felt guilty for not abiding by the rules Katara asked me to follow. But the other half of me saw no harm in keeping myself in shape and prepared.

Suki rose to her feet and I stood as well. In my art form, the opponents' attacks and body are used against them." She motioned for me to throw a technique at her. I decided to execute a standard ridge-hand, for starters. The Kyoshi Warrior was fast and caught my arm halfway with an inside-to-outside block. She grabbed my wrist, with swift movements, swept my left leg out from under me, and leaned forward, resulting in me teetering backwards. I let out a small exclamation while I was airborne for a split second before landing on my butt. "Like so." I hopped back up to my feet, feeling a bit discouraged. I didn't enjoy being caught off guard. I stayed idle for a few more silent moments before taking another swing at her; this time I aimed a straight punch at her torso. Suki was two steps ahead of me, to my surprise. She grasped my wrist at an angle as the punch came towards her and pulled me forward. As she did this, she side-stepped but left her right leg bent so I would stumble over her knee. Down I went again, this time head first. I ducked my head and performed a shoulder role in order to prevent injury. I didn't land it as well as I could have, but it wasn't any real pain.

It shocked me that I hadn't seen that one coming either. _Such extreme defenses for such minor attacks, _I mused to myself. Normally, I never used take-downs against small scale techniques. "We don't have to keep going if you don't want." Suki offered. I shook my head and rose to my feet again. I wasn't a quitter. I wasn't done yet. "Given other circumstances, you might prove differently but right now it's looking like you rely a lot on your bending to fight for you. It's showing. You've got the right stuff- I can see that. You just need to learn how to apply it better." The warrior girl encouraged me. I felt hopeful yet doubtful at the same time.

"You can disarm benders as if they're toddlers," I pointed out, remembering what Zuko had told me about her fighting-particularly at the Boiling Rock. "Where did you receive your training?" Suki shrugged off the praise and responded modestly.

"The island. It's taken training since being a little girl to reach the level that I'm at now. Though I will say, most benders I've encountered have lacked in skill. Now if you were allowed to use your bending, I'm pretty sure you'd win this fight. But since you can't as of right now, I have the advantage because hand-to-hand combat is my expertise." Her explanation definitely made sense. An important element of fighting was close range combat and it would benefit me to excel in this field with and without bending. "Let's make this interesting," the brunet had a sudden idea. "Whoever is standing last, the other owes them a favor." That would definitely spruce things up. I agreed to the terms. It would certainly motivate us to perform our best.

"So any favor?" I asked to clarify.

"There might be a few exceptions, but yes. Any favor within reason." Suki explained. _Fair enough, _I thought. She rolled the sleeves up on her red top of the prison uniform she kept as the sun shown down on us more intensely. My tunic was already sleeveless, so I had no worries there. We shook hands then moved into sparring positions, bodies sideways and arms up at the ready. Then it began.

The Kyoshi Warrior showed no signs of initiation, so I took it upon myself to make the first move. Unlike the previous few times, I threw a quick jab but didn't fully execute the attack. My goal was to fake her out. The brunet was already raising her arm at an angle to block when I drew that arm back and punched fast with my other hand. Suki was able to react quickly, but my fist grazed the material of her shirt. The warrior girl used this opportune moment when my arm was still extended to strike the side of my head. It didn't hurt, but it was definitely enough to catch my attention. I retreated back a short distance to regain my composure. My blood pumped hard and I was sure as Agni riled up now.

I twisted my body and threw a round-house kick at her. As soon as I did so, I immediately regretted it; the kick came from the back leg and to make it worse, it was sloppy. Suki side-stepped effortlessly and struck the back of my knee with a palm-heel as my leg was mid-air. The force of her strike sent my leg down and a lot farther to the right than it was intended to go. I almost ended up going into the splits and had to use my hands to push myself back up onto my feet. I turned around, right shoulder first and barely had enough time to react to a fist coming my way. I deflected my opponent's attack with a sweeping block with my left and front-snap kicked with my right. Suki moved forward and against the inside of my leg so that she was not on the receiving end of my kick. Now that she was so close, it was difficult to attack or defend and this was a great advantage for her. She was able to hit me in the side before I could move fast enough to block. The next strike she through, I was ready. I pivoted back and stopped her arm with an inside-to-outside block. Then I aimed a punch at her with my left but she blocked it with both arms, striking my left forearm hard. Her closest fist came towards my head in a back-fist. I bent my top half back a bit to evade her technique and moved my right leg against the inside of her left so there was little space for her to maneuver. As I moved my right arm up to clear her's out of the way, Suki popped me in the chest with a quick jab. _Dammit! _I had let my guard down again. I quickly recovered and sent a sudo technique at her neck. The girl stepped back, caught my wrist in a butterfly-block and twisted my arm behind my back. The sensation in my shoulder and upper back was pretty uncomfortable and I wanted to kick myself for getting into that situation. I twisted away from her grasp and hit her in the ribs with a palm-heel. Suki let go of me and took a few steps back; I did as well. We circled each other for a few moments-waiting.

I took a few deep breaths in that time to slow my racing heartbeat. This slight break in combat allowed me to reflect on how I was doing. It was then that I remembered the most important element of martial arts was defense. And during our round I had neglected this component. Almost every technique I had performed had been offensive and it had backfired over half of the time. The reason Suki was such a successful fighter was because she followed principles of earth-bending; she was waiting for the right time to strike. So why couldn't I do this? I _was _an earth-bender for Agni's sake-a fire-bender too for cryin' out loud! Was my martial arts a waste? My training for nothing? The air from my nostrils grew hotter as I grew more agitated and angry. My palms felt tingly now and I was ready for around two. _Be fast. _My eyes locked onto the Kyoshi Warrior. _Be agile. _My father's voice echoed in my head. _Be accurate. _

Suki nodded her head at me, trying to egg me on. I responded by shaking my head and extending my hand. I curled my fingers down to touch my palm and beckoned for her to come at _me. _The brunet cautiously inched closer. I restrained myself and waited for her to make the first move. The girl quickly brought her right leg up and bent it back as she swung it at me. I caught her hook-kick before it came in contact with my face. I pushed her leg back down and she had no choice but to turn in the direction I sent her leg. Suki whirled around with another hook-kick at me, but with her other leg. It was high enough where I could lower my stance and avoid being hit. I noticed that while she kicked, she pulled her arms apart ever so slightly. I quickly palm-heeled her in the side. Once the warrior girl's leg was back on the ground, she executed a spear-hand technique which I blocked with a reverse ridge-hand. The brunet moved swiftly and kneed me in the stomach. The impact wasn't enough to make me double over, but I grunted upon being struck. I retaliated by striking her in the chest with another palm-heel. I was so focused on pushing her back to create more space that I overlooked her next move. A flash of maroon was what I saw before a throbbing pain started in the corner of my right eye. It began to work its way down my jaw line and sideways past my ear. Something began to trickle down the side of my face. When I opened my eyes the vision in my right was completely shot; I could only see dark red because the blood further prohibited my retina from receiving light. I could barely see Suki now, but I raised my arms in defense again, ready to keep going.

I started to pick up on subtle differences in my opponent as I continued to brawl with her. Her attacks and movements seemed vaguely familiar, like I had seen them many times before. There was a fiery, hot aura around her, unlike the friendly competitiveness I felt only moments ago. When she stopped my back-fist I felt sharp nails around my wrist. _Huh? _I followed through with a round-house kick which she blocked by raising her knee. It was then that I realized long, dark hair flowing from my adversary's head; black. My movements grew faster as did hers. Every attack was countered or deterred and every block was precise and effective. My fists cut through the air at great speeds, hitting my opponent in the ribs, chest, collarbone, and other various target areas. For the first time yet in this match, she was having a hard time keeping up with me. Suddenly, I saw golden eyes and something triggered inside of me.

I struck the girl in the front with several palm-heels. These were my signature technique thrown with my arms; they represented leopard paws. I then pivoted around her, taking full advantage of the moment and struck her from the back and either sides. I sent a barrage of knuckle-punches and open palm-heels at her, which she was seldom able to block. The girl found a window of opportunity and aimed kwan-sudos at my head. I raised my fists, stopped her strikes by prohibition her arms from drawing closer and pushed them out to either side. Her middle was now exposed and I turned my body sideways, drew my right leg back for a split second and plowed my foot straight into her.

Once I lowered my leg down from the side-kick, shooting pain started up in my temples. I paused for a moment to hold my aching head and also to wipe the blood out of my eyes. The viscosity was low because it had sweat mixed with it. I shook my hand out towards the ground and the red from my fingers now painted the tips of the green grass below me. I shook my head to get the visions and images out of my mind. At first I didn't even realize that I was panting-I had exerted a lot more energy than I would have originally thought. When I tore my eyes off of the ground, I gazed ahead fifteen feet in front of me. The Kyoshi Warrior stooped low in the grass, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. My face fell once I saw that her head was down. _Shit..._

I rushed over to the brunet, despite the soreness of my legs and crouched down beside her. "Suki, I'm so sorry! I don't know what the hell just happened- I never meant too..." The warrior girl hadn't responded yet and I worried that I had fatally wounded her. Katara was still away and I didn't know much about healing at all. We'd be in a predicament for sure. "ah...shit." I couldn't believe my actions. "I'm so, so, _so _incredibly sorry. Oh spirits this is all my fault." I apologized again. A few moments later, Suki placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't...don't worry about it." She shrugged it off through shallow breaths. "I...have to...admit. Haven't taken...a blow like that...in...long time." The brunet didn't seem angry, which surprised me a little bit. She remained clam when there I was, panicking like a housewife. The warrior girl really was a trooper. I smiled wryly at her. "Nice work...y-...you win." She congratulated me, giving me a nod of approval as well as respect. Funny thing was, I didn't feel like too much of a winner. It didn't feel right, and I couldn't claim to be the victor of this match.

"Nah." I disagreed with her. "That was a pretty cheap shot. It wasn't fair and square, so _you _won." I told the blue eyed girl. She stared at me curiously for a brief moment. "Besides, you're still on you're feet." We both glanced down to see that, sure enough, both the warrior's feet were planted firmly on the earth. "I hope you can forgive me." I sighed and held out my hand to her. Suki's breathing steadied and she smiled warmly at me.

"Of course I can." She accepted my help and I pulled the both of us up on our feet. "But I do hope you know that I'm _going_ to kick your ass next time." I chuckled at her remark. In a way, Suki was like Mai with when it came to humor. It seemed as if I had known the girl for years the way we bantered with one another. Suki was really great. _You've got a keeper here, Snoozles. _Sokka was lucky to have such a wonderful person like Suki in his life.

"Oh? What makes you so sure of that?" I teased her as we approached the campground. There was a smug grin on my face. The Kyoshi Warrior hit my arm playfully.

"Because next time...I'll be deadly serious next time!" Her face suddenly went stoic and earnest for a moment. As soon as I burst out laughing, she cracked as well, joining in with a fit of giggles of her own. I was glad that Suki had joined Team Avatar. She was a devoted member and I knew that the more I got to know her, the more she'd prove to be an amazing friend.

I noticed that as we walked back, she continued to hold her stomach with one hand over the spot where I had kicked her. "You sure you're okay?" I asked. Though the warrior girl was a tough cookie, I wanted to make sure that I hadn't severely hurt her; I would feel even more terrible than I already did. Besides, our team didn't need any more injured members. I had a feeling that if Katara knew what we did, she'd be screaming at us till the hippo-cows came home.

"I'll survive." She reassured me and I believed her. "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" The brunet chuckled. I had never heard that phrase before but I liked the sound of it. It held a certain power in its message. I began to think about all my brawls and near-death experiences. Indeed they had shaped me and molded me into the person that I was now.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Somethin' like that."


	21. Legends & Broadway

**Author's Note**: ER. MAh. GERRD! I'm so sorry I've kept everyone waiting! I had a lot to do last semester and for whatever reason I didn't post this over break. But here it is! Sassy Karuna is sassy and there are some Mulan referrences, so I hope that makes up for everything! Enjoy guys!  
><strong> ~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Who's up for some musical entertainment?" Sokka asked us that night once the five of us had gathered around the campfire. Toph pulled the wheat grass out of her mouth with her index and thumb and laughed out loud.<p>

"You doing the entertaining, Snoozles?" The Water Tribe boy lifted his head high, looking quite proud of himself.

"Yes, I am." He declared. The rest of us chortled in unison.

I snorted. "No offense, Sokka, but if I have to hear 'My Love is Like a Boomerang' one more time, I think I'm gonna lose it." My input resulted in more laughter from the others.

"If I had the tsungi horn from that Fire Nation school I could play us some songs." Aang chimed in. I cringed a little, remembering our experience in music class together. The avatar did have rhythm, but it was put to much better use on the dance floor. I chuckled and nudged him in the ribs.

"Good thing you don't!" I teased the younger boy, who stuck his tongue out at me in return.

"Well aren't we critical tonight?" Suki raised an eyebrow at me. The warrior girl stretched out on the log she sat upon. There was a black wrap fastened around her waist- a result of our sparring match earlier that day. "Why don't you show us your musical expertise then?" Her comment was sarcastic and I couldn't wait to surprise my friends with some of my hidden talents.

"Alright then," I agreed with a warm smile on my face. "I learned how to play a few instruments when I was younger." After hearing this information, Sokka stood up and headed towards the tents.

"I'll be right back." The Water Tribe boy returned a couple of minutes later with a stringed instrument in his hands. As he drew closer, I realized it was a pipa. "Will this do?" He asked me.

"Where did you get that?" It was news to me that the team carried around random musical instruments. Sokka shrugged his shoulders casually and flashed a small grin.

"We've picked up a lot of stuff in the past ten months. Almost forgot we had this." The pony-tailed boy handed the pipa to me.

"This is a Fire Nation instrument..." I pointed out as I examined its make. "did you guys go to the Fire Nation before you met Toph and me?" I certainly didn't remember acquiring any pipas with the gang. Sokka nodded his head.

"When Aang first tried to learn fire-bending we were at a festival shortly after the winter solstice. That was the same night we met Jeong Jeong."

I sat down on the log and strummed a few chords on the pipa. My ears perked up at this information. "Huh. If I remember correctly, Jeong Jeong was my father's teacher." I had never actually met the fire-bending master, but I had heard much about him from my father. My friends looked upon me eagerly to continue. "More of that later." I put the thought on hold. "You all wanted to hear me play, right?" The group nodded together and I chuckled. With my attention now directed on my music, I began to play. I used to nails to strum across the strings and the melody started off slow and soft:

_Bei fan you jia ren_

_Jue shi er du li_

_Yu gu qing ren cheng_

_Zai gu qing ren quo_

_Ring bu zhi_

_Qing cheng yu qing guo_

_Jia ren nan zi de_

_*In the North there's a lady_

_Stunning and singular_

_One look confounds a city_

_A touch dooms an empire_

_Rather not wishing to know_

_The ruination that may follow_

_Rare beauty is here and now._

I half expected to hit some sour notes; I hadn't played a pipa since I was ten or eleven. When I was done, my friends clapped and it almost felt like a mini performance. It felt nice to have a talent other than fighting. Though my martial arts filled me with such thrill and drive, music helped soothe my mind and relax my nerves.

"That was really great!" Suki praised me and I lowered my head modestly. I was glad they liked my performance. I had never considered myself to be a great musician, only a decent one. "How did you learn to play like that?" I turned the pipa over in my hands.

"Li Ann taught me." I answered the warrior girl. " She was a good friend of my father. She kind of became a mother to me over the years. That's where I get my creative side from." I smiled warmly.

"So your father taught you everything else?" Aang asked curiously. I nodded. "Must be a really bright guy."

"Everything from street smarts to academics. Oh and fighting as well. He was a pretty well rounded person so he kind of knew something about everything."

"If you don't mind me asking," Suki began. "...what happened to him?"

I paused for a moment as I processed the question in my head. I didn't enjoy discussing the topic, but I felt comfortable bringing it up with my friends. "He was sent on an assignment to the North East part of the Earth Kingdom. It seemed like everything was going fine until months later when we found out the ship had been destroyed and no one was there. There was a search for a while but they gave up when they couldn't find anyone." I left out the part about seeing my father's spirit; it was personal and I didn't feel the need to bring up my emotional breakdown. In the back of my mind I could remember that night as clear as day and I kept replaying it over and over again. Never would I ever forget the lighting I had conjured that evening. The blinding light and booming crackle would forever stick with me.

"Your father could still be alive." Aang interjected with optimism. "Just because the search party didn't find anyone doesn't mean that-" It was a nice sentiment but I knew better.

"No," I shook my head sadly and dismissed him gently. "The ship was found in the middle of the ocean." I reminded the avatar. "I don't see how anyone could have survived." The Air Nomad shared my silent sorrow and stared at his hands as well. It remained quiet around the campfire for a few minutes until Sokka spoke up again.

"You said earlier that your father's teacher was Jeong Jeong..." The blue eyed boy waited for a second to receive my confirmation before continuing. "Did he happen to know Zhao at all?" I laughed dryly at the question and made a face.

"Yes, and unfortunately I was acquainted with _General _Zhao at one point too." Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I had various conversations with him when I was in the Fire Nation military-especially before and after war meetings."

"War meetings?" Suki interrupted. I had almost forgotten that she wasn't up to speed on my past. "Wait a minute, Karuna are you-" Sokka shushed her as politely as possible so I could continue.

"Firelord Ozai had me take my father's place in the military to uphold his legacy-my training impressed him or something. That's how I became a general."

"So your father was a general?" Aang asked in clarification. I nodded in response.

"Yeah. He would have held a much higher title too if he would have accepted his promotions. Anyway, I've never been a fan of Zhao, just something about him. Probably his hubris. Whenever we'd chat, I could never tell if he was being sincere or not because I knew he envied my father."

Sokka folded his arms across his chest. "So do you think Jeong Jeong preferred your father over Zhao?" I snorted.

"Definitely." I answered without missing a beat. "My father was and still is considered one of the best fire-benders in the last hundred years. Zhao's just a whiny copycat who wants to get straight to the top."

"_Was _a whiny copycat." Sokka corrected me. I gave him a strange look.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Admire Zhao is no more." The Water Tribe boy said to my surprise. "He didn't survive the battle at the Northern Water Tribe." That was certainly news to me. I was sure that Mr. Sideburns was still around and about, taking gain for the Fire Nation.

"Whoa..." I breathed, soaking in the new information. Aang nodded gravely, confirming Sokka's statement. The look on the boy's face indicated there was more to this story, but before I could question the avatar about it, Sokka changed the subject.

"Hey, what's that?" He pointed at me.

"What's what?"

"Around your neck?" The warrior boy clarified. I took my necklace in hand and pulled the cord over my head. I held it up so they could see the pendant...well Toph couldn't see it so I let her hold it instead.

"It was my father's. He gave it to me before he went off to sea." I explained. "It's a leopard head engraved on it."

"Is it gold?" Suki asked, looking down at Toph's hands."

"It's a mixture of gold and bronze I think. It would be too easy to bend and break if it were just pure gold."

Toph really seemed to be studying the pendant. "It's so intricate." The blind girl commented. She felt the metal some more. "What's this on the back? It's like a flower or something." My ears perked up at this. My cousin handed me back my pendant, which I showed Sokka. On the other side was an engraved flower which looked eerily familiar. It took the darker skinned boy a few moments to make the connection as well. Out from his pocket, the boy pulled out the Pai Sho tile we had received from Master Piando; the flower matched.

"A White Lotus..." The two of us said in unison. We stared at the items in silence for a few moments.

"Well this is interesting." I breathed. "It's gotta mean something."

"You think so?" Sokka looked at me. I studied both the game piece and the back of my necklace.

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "This isn't the first time I've seen this actually. Zuko's uncle plays Pai Sho a lot, and he tried teaching me when we were younger. His favorite piece was the White Lotus, in fact."

"Okay..." Sokka took in the information. "But do you really think there's a connection here?" I chuckled at the skeptical boy.

"I know you guys didn't know him, but my father was never one for flowers." Li Ann had the green thumb-my father not so much. "So why would he have one engraved on the back of his necklace? And the same question could be asked of Master Piando."

"Maybe the flower is a good luck symbol." Suki suggested. I shifted on my log and propped my chin up with my fist.

"I don't know enough about it to verify if that's true." I admitted. I hadn't even given the White Lotus much thought at all until then.

Sokka folded his arms. "I guess we won't figure that out until we find someone who does know more." I nodded my head. Maybe when everything was over we'd run into Iroh or Master Piando who could give us more answers. The mystery of the White Lotus would have to wait for now.

* * *

><p>Soon enough, Katara and Zuko returned from their trip and I as well as the others was anxious to hear about what happened. I had to know if the Water Tribe girl followed through on her statement.<p>

Aang and I accompanied Zuko to the pier in which Katara retreated to. She had kept her distance from us since coming back. The prince told us prior to seeking her out what transpired during their small journey and that in the end Katara had made the right decision.

The sun was setting and the water-bender sat on the edge of the wooden dock with her feet dangling over the water. Though we couldn't see her face at first, I had a feeling she was deep in thought. "Katara," Aang spoke in a soft voice, so as not to alarm her. "Zuko told us what you did...er what you _didn't _do actually." The bald monk scratched the back of his head. "I'm proud of you." there was a slight pause before Katara answered.

"I wanted to do it. I wanted to unleash all my anger onto him, so that in his last moment he could feel the suffering that I've endured all these years. But...I couldn't do it." The water-bender kept her back facing us but I could tell she was still upset because sorrow and frustration lined her voice. "I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it, or...if it's because I'm strong enough not to." I frowned. The blue eyed girl sounded so unsure and disappointed with herself. I wanted to say something positive and encouraging, but at the moment it seemed as if the girl would stay in that state forever.

The wooden boards creaked a bit as I approached the darker skinned girl though they were very sturdy. "You're not weak, Katara." I reassured her. "It takes a lot of will power and guts to do what you did." The brunet turned her head slowly to look up at me. "It's not easy to forgive. Especially in thi-"

"But I didn't forgive him." Katara cut me off. The girl rose to stand on the pier with us. "I'll never forgive him." The anger had vanished from her words, but determination still lingered. She remained silent for a few moments, then she gazed upon the scarred boy who stood behind us. "But...I _am _ready to forgive you." Then, to both mine and Aang's surprise, she captured the prince in a warm embrace which he returned. I felt a smile creep up my lips after a few moments. It looked like their trip had helped both understand the other more. The sight warmed my heart because Zuko rarely showed nor accepted affection; and there the two stood in front of us as unlikely friends. I began to wonder if it had been the prince who had changed Katara's mind about revenge. My thoughts were interrupted when the water-bender asked me to walk back to camp with her. The boys still conversed with one another on the dock so I figured why not.

The water Tribe girl was eerily quiet for the first part of our trek. She brought me back from outer space when she finally addressed me. "How does someone do that?" I didn't quite understand the question and at first I thought maybe the girl was asking herself. She then looked at me, with blue eyes like the sea once the sun comes up. "How does someone manage to do what I did? I mean, how can a person have so much hate and anger and then when it's at its peak it just dies?" The frustration returned to her voice and I began to understand. "It-it just vanished! Like it was never there to begin with." Katara folded her arms and stared at the ground as we continued to walk. She bit her bottom lip and it was apparent something else still bothered her. "Is something wrong with me?" The water-bender's voice began to waver. "I-I...can't even avenge my own mother." I could clearly see the hurt and pain in her eyes; they were windows into her soul, reflecting her innermost emotions. Though I too felt the heartbreaking loss of a parent, I couldn't exactly sympathize with her on this. It was an entirely different situation.

"Don't do this to yourself, Katara." I pleaded with her. The poor girl could be so hard on herself at times. "What happened was for the better and I truly think-" I trailed off, noticing she had stopped. We stood in the tall grass, feet apart, staring at one another.

"Better? Better how?" She asked and I didn't have an answer. _Better on your conscience, _was what I didn't say out loud. "The man who took our mother from us still draws breath, all because I didn't have the courage to do it!"

"No!" I corrected her, trying not to raise my voice. "You have plenty of courage. But that has nothing to do with it"

"It has _everything _to do with it!" The Water Tribe girl argued persistently. "Tell me what would you have done?" The question stung but I wouldn't let it sink under my skin. "If you were me, what would you have done?" In those moments I had to keep my thoughts in check. I blocked the smoke and ash from memory. I shut out the noise.

"Aang and I are proud that you didn't go through with it." I told the Water Tribe girl.

"You're not answering my question." My stomach dropped. "What would you have done, Karuna?" The tree. That gods awful blood stained tree flashed before my eyes. I shivered as I tried to flush it out. "Would you all of a sudden let go like that?"

_The pale light of the moon outlined the fear across the boy's face as he glanced behind his shoulder."Kari, please!" His last words he begged. Seconds later, his body was driven into the Willow Tree with great force . A loud thunk resulted from the impact on the tree. Quin's lifeless hazel eyes stared off into nothing; His head tilted on an awkward angle. Thick, red streams ran down the fingers and wrist. The tree, coated in crimson towering over. _

Another chill shot down my spine. I glanced up at Katara again once snapping out of my trance. "You know why I'm proud, Katara?" The darker skinned girl did not further interject. The look on her face revealed that she was puzzle and listening intently. "Because you were able yourself from making the mistake that I made." An uncomfortable tingling sensation worked its way from my fingertips to eventually the rest of my body. "And once you take that step, you can't take it back." My voice was thick in my throat as was my saliva. At first, the water-bender didn't say anything; she only gazed upon me with a sense of sudden understanding. I could practically see the gears shifting inside her mind as she began to comprehend.

"What happened?" Her words were soft and barely audible. A better question to ask would have been what _didn't _happen. A nauseous feeling began in the pit of my stomach once the memories flooded back. This time I didn't stop them from returning.

"I lost control. That's what happened." At the time-that everlasting moment, I believed my actions were justified. I was blind to the consequences and ethical repercussions that would follow. Blinded by vengeance and harbored rage. Like Wong Shi Tong had said, all humans believe their wars are justified, just as Quin and I had. The malevolent fire-bender deserved to perish as he did, but too late I realized it wasn't my divine right to deliver that fate unto him. The universe would ultimately determine his destiny or demise.

"I had a reason." I added, noticing the mixed emotions across Katara's face. "But in the end it could have been avoided." Two years ago, those words would have never come out of my mouth. I wouldn't have felt any remorse nor guilt for my actions that dismal and fateful night. Looking back on myself then worried me. It showed how impulsive I was and how dark I really could be.

The water-bender gazed upon me with looks of fear, wonder and sympathy. There were more emotions behind her eyes, but I couldn't pick out all of them. "What?" I asked her, after a long moment of silence where all we could hear was the gentle roll of the waves. "I'm even more fucked up than you thought?" I wouldn't have been surprised if she was thinking along those lines. The darker skinned girl shook her head at me.

"No. you have more restraint now than most of us because you know what it's like. So when faced with that decision again, you'll know how to approach it." It didn't strike me that the water-bender was right until moments later when more excerpts of my past came to visit me.

When Toph and I first met the gang, I wanted to kill Xin Fu and the rest of Earth Rumble VI for kidnapping my cousin and Aang. I was seconds away from ending Azula's life in the crystal catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se before Iroh stepped in. At the Boiling Rock I could have easily snapped the neck of the bothersome prison guard who had possession of my necklace. And that..._beast _they set on me in that pit cell...well I wasn't quite sure what his fate had been. Point being, there were many instances since the first in which I was able to stop before I did something I would live to regret.

* * *

><p>Upon returning to camp, we packed up and got ready to depart on Appa. Zuko had suggested to Sokka that a good safe spot would be his family's old house on Ember Island. It would be perfect because no one would think to look for us there. A feeling of nostalgia washed over me as we unpacked our items and equipment into the mansion. It reminded me so much of the Fire Nation palace where I had spent a majority of my childhood. At every corner I half expected to see the princess leaning against the threshold with a mischievous smirk on her face- the same smirk that indicated she knew how we were going to find ourselves in trouble for that day. It almost disappointed me to learn that the entire estate was vacant, but of course that was for the better.<p>

The boys were practicing their fire-bending that afternoon in the courtyard of the mansion. I did want to join them, but I felt kind of lazy. Instead, I sat on the sidelines with Toph and Katara and observed. "Shouldn't you be training too?" The water-bender asked me. I shrugged my shoulders at her.

Zuko sat on the edge of a stone fountain which looked like it had been empty of water for quite some time now. "Trust me, she's trained for Armageddon." The prince spoke on my behalf while he dried his sweaty head with a towel. He cracked a smile once he saw me chuckle at this. "Though the extra practice wouldn't hurt...why don't you join us when we resume later?" He offered. I saw no harm in the idea.

Just then, Sokka and Suki came outside and the Water Tribe boy had something rolled up in his hand. "You guys aren't gonna believe this!" He exclaimed, rushing towards us.

"We were just in town and found this poster." The Kyoshi Warrior explained and Sokka unraveled it for us to see; on it was Aang, Katara and Sokka done in an artist's rendition. It took me a minute to notice it was Zuko's eyes in the background...only the scar was drawn on the wrong side for some reason. "It's a play about us!" We were all pretty surprised and skeptical about this new discovery. I mean, a play about _us? _Sokka read off the info to us from the poster.

The play, "The Boy in the Iceberg" was a new production from the play writer. Pu-On Tim. The man apparently went all over the globe to gather information about Aang and everyone else. "Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island players." The darker skinned boy concluded.

Zuko groaned loudly from his seat still on the stone fountain. "They're horrible! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons' every year!" If I remembered correctly, Azula wasn't a fan of the actors either. At least, that's how it sounded from the vacation stories she used to tell me. Sokka however, was rearing to go.

"Come on guys! A day at the theater is exactly the wacky time wasting nonsense we've been missing!"

Hours later, the gang and I were a the theater, headed towards our seats. We picked a small balcony section so that there was only enough room for our party- for obvious reasons. Though we were all wearing our Fire Nation garb, we still didn't want to risk being recognized. Aang, Zuko, Katara and Top sat in the front of our sky box section while I sat with Sokka and Suki behind them. I had mixed feelings about going to see this play. Would we be portrayed properly? Did the play writer include all the right facts? What would he include and what would he leave out? Before I could ask any more internal questions, I was given my first set of answers as the curtain pulled back and the show began.

My first impression of the actors was not a very good one. The portrayal of the Water Tribe siblings was pretty poor in my opinion. Katara was pretty put off by the over dramatized version of herself on stage. To be honest, I found it rather funny, so I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Sokka's actor was just as bad, making it seem like everything was just a punchline waiting to happen. And don't even get me started on Aang's. The first part of the play was a bit painful to watch though it was kind of cute how Sokka got all teary eyed at the reenactment of Yue's sacrifice. Things got worse once Toph and I were introduced.

First off, Toph was a guy. A really buff guy- who used sonic waves from his mouth to "see"! My cousin was thrilled with her casting and thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was utterly ridiculous. Right beside the Toph actor was a young woman clad in... black which I assumed was me. She wore a hood which was strange because I never remembered wearing anything of the sort. The gang on stage asked her who she was and she pulled down her hood so the audience could see her face.

"The name's Karuna," She stated in a grim tone. "Got it memorized?" I raised an eyebrow. _Got it memorized? _I didn't sound like that, did I? So dismal and serious? So far, my portrayal seemed more dark and dramatic than Zuko's and _that _was saying something! I rolled my eyes and sighed. Only another act and half left to go.

The play had it's fair share of awkward moments too, like the completely different twist in the crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se. I could see the water-bender and the scarred prince eye one another nervously as their actors announced their feelings for one another. I felt bad for them; it was starting to make _me _feel uncomfortable even. Aang must have felt the same way because pretty soon, the avatar got up and left our section. Fresh air sounded like a good idea, but I was too curious to see what else would get butchered up next; it was a guilty pleasure.

It was a miracle I was still somewhat engaged in the play by the end of the second act. They had made the battle of Ba Sing Se look absolutely foolish- they had my actor run around with a dragon mask on for Agni's sake! I felt pretty insulted and it bothered me that so many people were glorifying Aang's "death." I was glad when the second intermission came. It gave me a chance to stretch my legs and clear my head. Out of the corner of my eye, a young woman with light brown hair stood out from all the other audience members. Her outfit wasn't quiet as professional as the one I had seen her last in, but it still had authority written all over it. The girl turned her head as if she had felt my gaze, then gray eyes met bronze. For a sliver of a moment, time seemed to come to a halt. _Oh no. No, no, no. _

Naomi broke away from the crowd and made her way over towards me. Instantly, I looked away and leaned my back against the wall closest to me. Unfortunately this didn't discourage the other girl from approaching me. She leaned against the wall just as I did, only a few feet away from me. Her head as turned on an angle to the left where I was. "You're either really brave or really stupid. Maybe even both." She muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

"It's good to see you too." I sighed with false optimism. "Aren't you supposed to be at the prison?"

"I got discharged." Naomi responded. I opened my mouth to ask why, but then realized it wasn't a necessary inquiry. "What in Agni are you doing here, Sankari? Do you have any idea how much shit you'll be in inf you're discovered?" I shifted onto the balls of my feet and exhaled calmly.

"Well you haven't turned me in yet." I pointed out. "I'll take my chances." The ex prison guard gave me the same look she used to when we were little kids; the one that read 'you're weird, I don't get you.' "It's sweet that you're worried." I continued my dry banter. Naomi sighed heavily and eyed the lobby cautiously.

"This isn't a game, dammit!" She hissed at me. "I'm still a member of the sentry-I could have this place surrounded and locked down on my signal." I observed the young woman carefully as she said this. It was true that she still held an authoritative position but her eyes gave her away. The bronze irises swam with uncertainty.

"But you won't..." I stated, and the other fire-bender softened her gaze. I was suddenly curious. "Why is that?" My childhood friend stared at me for many moments without blinking. Her chest rose and fell from her steady breathing. Then, she lowered her head to the ground.

"It's not worth it anymore." Naomi mumbled and it was barely audible. "I was fighting this war with them, but now they're gone. I see no point in it."

"Who's gone?" I inquired gently. The light brunet slowly lifted her head to gaze at me.

"Razi and Deepthi are dead." This struck me as a shocker. _Dead? _I had never been anything other than acquaintances with those two but I would never wish anything that horrible to happen to them. "And Kenzo's gone off, spirits knows where." Distraught lined the poor girl's voice.

"What about Sarayu?" I asked.

"She's in Yu Dao." Naomi explained. I began to sympathize with her because everyone close to her was suddenly slipping away. And to make things harder on the girl, her family resided in the colonies of the Earth Kingdom. Many of the same rules applied to the sentry as well as the military; she was not allowed to leave or abandon. Naomi was all alone out here with no one. I leaned closer.

"This is all going to be over soon." I reassured the ex prison guard. "I'm with the avatar. We're going to stop this nightmare." A gleam of hope flickered in Naomi's eyes. Then she suddenly asked,

"Do you think it'll stop once it's all over? The violence...the separation?" To be perfectly honest, I had no answer for her. It wouldn't have surprised me if nobody else in the world did either.

"I hope so." I finally responded after some deep pondering. "But we won't find out until after the war is over and we've won." Naomi nodded in understanding.

"I wish you the utmost luck then." She smiled wryly at me. "Because you have all of us counting on you now." Naomi's words filled me with a certain warmth and motivation. Her being on our side now made our cause seem even stronger.

"I wish you well too," I smiled as the two of us began to part ways as friends again. "In starting over." I was halfway up the stairs to our balcony seat when Naomi called out to me.

"Kari!" I stopped abruptly and turned to face her once more. "About that night," I instantly knew which even she referred to. "About Sameer..." My heart felt heavy in my chest. "He was a brother to me, really." She shook her head at the ground in shame. "I didn't know Quin's true intentions. Honestly. I wish I could have done something." I sighed, sharing her heavy conscience and pain.

"So do I."

Once I returned to our sky box, Sokka began filling me in on what I'd missed while conversing with Naomi. "We went to the Fire Nation, you and Aang had that dance party. Katara was the Painted Lady, and I got a sword, I think Combustion Man died but I'm not sure- ohhh here comes the invasion!"

No sooner had he said that, his actor and the others came onstage on top of the submarines. "Hey Toph, would you say that you and Aang have a..._rocky relationship?" _The audience burst out into chuckles and giggles at the one-liner. _Finally! _A joke actually Sokka worthy!

"Well if that's true," The muscly Toph responded. "Your sister's and Karuna's must be as swift as a coursing river." The audience roared with laughter and I nearly chocked on my water. _More like the force of a great typhoon. _ Where they really going there? Nuh-uh.

Soon after, the actor gang made it to the palace, but much like what actually happened, nobody was there...but then the Zuko actor appeared..._What? He didn't join us until AFTER the invasion! _Then, the Azula actor appeared on the prop throne. "It seems like your plans have been foiled again, Team Avatar!" She cackled wickedly. Then they went into the drama about my true identity being revealed which evoked gasps and shocks from a non-suspecting audience. Then a cat fight followed suit involving both the Katara actor and the Azula actor. Each grabbed an arm on the actor me and began a tugging war. Both actors pulled with the strength of a raging fire. I slapped a hand to my forehead. _Of all the things..._

"I have to pee." I got up to excuse myself from that awkward scenario but Katara pulled me back down in my seat.

"Oh no!" The water-bender exclaimed. "If I'm staying _you're staying!" _

The play's ending left much to be desired. It pretty much eluded to the fact that Aang died taking on Ozai. Azula killed Zuko in a final duel and I got jumped by the Fire Nation military. So as the rest of the audience erupted in a loud and joyous standing ovation, the gang and I sat in our seats eyes glued to the stage in disbelief. Though relieved it was finally over, the ending made all of us feel pretty crappy.

"That was not a good play..." Zuko said once we walked along the shore of the beach towards the mansion. The best part of the night was how serene and beautiful the ocean and night sky looked.

"Hmm you don't say." I teased the boy, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

"The effects were decent." Sokka shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to have nightmares about that god awful play." Katara groaned once the seven of us entered the estate.<p>

"Me too." Suki agreed as she began to head off to her room. "And I was _barely _in it!" Sokka stopped her from leaving just yet.

"Wait guys, I have an idea!" _Oh boy..._I laughed internally. Another of the Water Tribe boy's brilliant plans. What would it be this time? "We can tell stories by the fire like we used to. I bet anything we can come up with will cancel out that atrocity we just saw!" It was actually a great idea-probably one of his better ones. We agreed that might help us sleep better at night and went out to the courtyard.

Zuko and I made a fire around the inner ring of the dried out fountain. Then, all of us sat upon the stone outer circle above it. Up above, I could see the silhouette of the clouds that were against the navy blue sky. This was what I loved about summer. "So..." Zuko got the ball rolling. "Anyone have any ideas?"

"Why don't we tell legends?" Aang pipped up. "Those ought to be good." I liked the avatar's suggestion. "Are there any that we haven't shared before?" The group was silent for a bit while they sat in thought.

_ "_Karuna," Katara looked at me from across the way. "You never finished telling me about Avatar Sango." This was true. I hadn't.

"I've never heard of that avatar." My cousin said.

"She's the one that Fire Nation teacher talked about." Aang said, referring to our incognito days when we infiltrated one of the schools. "She said you looked like her." I nodded my head at the air-bender.

"That's the one." I confirmed. " Only, she mixed up her facts about her. I realized I had too. Avatar Sango wasn't in the cycle before Kyoshi. She lived over 2,000 years ago." This snagged everyone's attention and I began to tell my story.

"Avatar Sango was born in what is now known as the Tu Zin Village. The world was a very different place then; not so divided and separate as it is now. She was born an earth-bender, and discovered she was the avatar at age 14. It didn't take her long to learn the other elements as well, for she was already masterful in earth at quite a young age. By age 18 she had traveled to nearly everywhere in the globe, learning from different masters of different elements. It was then when she was proclaimed a fully actualized avatar.

"A few years later, things in the Eastern part of the Earth Kingdom began to take a turn for the worst. Ba Sing Se's first and only empress ruled during that time, and her reign began to transform into a nightmare. Empress Wu Zhao was a powerful woman and a powerful earth-bender. In some cases she even made earth-bending illegal in the lower classes so none could rise up and take power from her. For you see, the throne did not truly belong to her. It was her late husband's and would be given to her son. However, her child was no more than a toddler, so she was able to rule in his place temporarily. When it was time for her son to take his rightful place, his untimely death occurred. One can guess how that was arranged. A second son in line for the throne met the same fate. The empress got away with both accounts.

Wu Zhao's tyranny was recognized throughout all the land but none could act out against it. Her military was loyal to her as well as the nobles of the region. Word spread and soon Avatar Sango had received notification of the oppressed people. She arrived in Ba Sing Se, which was actually called Luoyang back then, to confront the empress. The meeting turned hostile and a duel began. Sango, being the honorable avatar she was refused to fight with any means other than solely earth-bending. It was said that the two fought for days to no avail until finally a treaty was set in place. The empress would uplift the strict governing of her people and retire her power hungry practices if Avatar Sango would agree to ally the Water Tribes with her kingdom. The avatar agreed because it was a humble request of the Empress and no harm would come to anyone because of it.

Avatar Sango set out on her journey to complete the tasks given to her by the empress, but of course being the avatar she was sidetracked by helping others in need as well. The first year, she managed to create a positive bond between the earth region and the Water Tribes which dwelt in the south. During the second year, she traveled to the North to begin counseling with the tribes and people in those regions. Accompanying Sango was her friend and lover, Nanook, who was a member of the northern tribes. Tragedy struck when the two were ambushed on the tundra by Wu Zhao's men. The empress was furious that the tasks had taken the avatar this long to complete. The bender couple brawled with ease at first because Wu Zhao's warriors posed no major threat to them. But the snow storm began to make things more difficult for them. Seconds before Avatar Sango went into the avatar state, a dagger penetrated her side and struck a vital point. She wanted to rip the blade out, but Nanook discouraged her from doing so-she'd bleed to death if she did.

There were still a dozen men still standing and fatigue was slowly taking a hold of Nanook. Sango knew he would surely die if she did nothing. Regardless of the consequences, she ripped the dagger out of her flesh and hurled it into the neck of the squad leader, saving her lover's life. The rest of Wu Zhao's men fled the scene now that their work was done and disappeared into the blizzard. Nanook knelt down in the bloodied snow, holding the love of his life in his arms. He was not a healer and he wept because there was nothing he could do. He couldn't leave her there in the snow but if he tried bringing her the rest of the way north she'd surely die on the way. So he stayed with her, holding her close as her last breath of life escaped from her lips. Then he laid down to die beside her.

"And that's where we get the term 'till death do us part'." I explained to the gang. All twelve eyes were on me, and they were wide with astonishment and wonder. I didn't expect the story to be such a hit, but from the looks of the group they certainly enjoyed it.

"That's so sad..." Suki then frowned. Katara did the same beside her. I nodded my head at the two of them. It indeed was a tragic story.

"It is...she died the youngest of any avatar. " I added.

Zuko sighed loudly. "And you all thought I was depressing." He said at last. I chortled at his remark and the others chuckled at him. The scarred boy had his funny moments every now and again when he wasn't trying to be as grim and mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Under all that doom and gloom was a smile or two waiting to come out.

"That's because you didn't have us around." Katara teased him. This evoked a snort from the prince and he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, that must be it." I couldn't resist laughing out loud that time and neither could anyone else. Zuko sat there with a sly grin on his face, looking rather proud of his funny. _I love these guys. _I sighed contently. In those perfect moments, the world seemed alright after all.

* * *

><p><strong>* The song sung by Karuna in beginning of chapter is called 'Beauty Song' and is from the movie 'House of the Flying Daggers'<strong>

**Avatar Sango's story is also inspired by House of the Flying Daggers but the Empress Wu Zhao is a real person from history.**

**THANKS FOR READING! (Review too :3) **

**~Th3rdhal3~**


	22. So This Is War: Part I

**Author's Note:** As promised, here is the next chapter! Like I said before I will do my best to update in a timely manner now that my writing muse is back in action. Read & Review, and of course enjoy!  
><strong> ~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>"More ferocious! Imagine striking through your opponent's heart!" Zuko yelled. The scarred boy's arms were crossed over his chest and his usual displeased expression was on his face. With keen, golden eyes, he studied Aang's form and technique, not looking too impressed.<p>

The rest of us observed from the steps of the Firelord's old manor. Zuko and Aang had been practicing a good long while that morning and I thought the avatar had made some progress. "C'mon!" Zuko pushed the air-bender further. The bald monk broke away from his kata and turned to face Zuko.

"I'm trying!" The boy groaned loudly in agitation. I could see the frustration in his eyes from all the way up the steps. And I couldn't blame the kid either; the prince had high expectations. I figured it was a trait he had inherited from his father.

"Let me hear you roar like a tiger-dilo!" Zuko demanded, regardless of Aang's protests. The air-bender spun 180 degrees, holding both arms out at his sides. Flames sprouted from his palms and a low growl evoked flames from his mouth. Even I had to admit it could have been done better. Zuko and I were on the same page. "That sounded pathetic." The avatar half smiled sheepishly, knowing his form was sloppy. "I said _ROAR!" _The prince bellowed. Aang tried again and this time the flames were much louder and the boy's sound carried. It even startled Momo! The frightened lemur took refuge behind Zuko's feet. Finally, the scarred boy gave a nod of approval.

With the help from Katara and Suki, Aang was able to take a much desired break-much to Zuko's distaste of course. It was pretty humorous to watch the monk race over to the water-bender who had a nice cold rind full of watermelon juice for him. Zuko scowled and kicked up some dirt.

"Lighten up, Zukes!" I called out to him. I wished the boy could stay optimistic for once instead of being such a downer. He didn't make any sign acknowledging me.

"If you all wanna lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" And with that, the boy stormed off. I frowned a little by his actions. I thought after all this time the prince would learn to take a chill-pill and not get so uptight. If he wanted to change his image, regressing to child-like tantrums was not the way to do it.

"Beach party!" Sokka's shouting drowned out my thoughts and I was soon wondering why the Water Tribe boy had flung his shirt off into the air. The next thing I knew, the gang and I were having a good 'ol time down at the manor's private beach. The sky was clear and the water the perfect temperature- the only complaint I had was that the sun beat down a little harder on me because I wore a black bikini top and shorts.

Katara was catching some waves on a board she had crafted out of ice. Sokka and Aang began making sand sculptures while Toph practiced her sand-bending.

"Check this out, sifu!" She called out to grab my attention. The blind girl stamped her foot on the sand and pushed out, creating a magnificent sight; a giant circle was displayed in front of us and soon we could see a whole array of shapes and structures within it. I couldn't believe my eyes- my cousin had made a small model of Ba Sing Se.

"Whoa!" Aang marveled at the tiny King Kuei and Boscoe that had been created. My mouth was slightly ajar as well. I had learned to expect amazing things from Toph however.

"Have you been working on your sand-bending, Karuna?" the small earth-bender asked me. The last time we had been around sand was when we were stranded in the desert months ago.

"Not really." I answered honestly. "But I'll give it a shot." I rooted my feet as firmly as I could under the warm tiny grains. For a few moments I stayed this way. Growing accustomed to the feeling. Then, I slowly brought my arms forward. A calm and serene feeling began to inhabit me, and the pleasant sensation aided my concentration.

One by one, the small handfuls of grains became larger masses as they shifted around my ankles., as if the beach around me was alive. I soon felt the roughness slipping through and against my skin on my arms, legs and hands. The more I moved the sand, the more it felt like a living thing- like a serpent. And the more I worked with it, I began to feel in control.

Though Toph couldn't see, she grinned at me and offered her compliments. "Nice, sifu. For not having practiced in a while, you're doing pretty good!" As usual, the praise helped boost my confidence. Aang studied my movements for a few extra moments in silence; it seemed he was taking note for future reference.

After a bit, he said, "that's pretty neat Karuna, but you're not gonna take out any bad guys with that!" The boy teased. I threw him a smirk in response and felt playful myself.

"You wanna bet?" I took a step forward, already feeling more confident in my bending and thousands of grains rushed out at my command. The avatar's eyes widened. I raised the sand in front of me into the air to confront him. "Sand burial!" I shouted in a menacing tone. The avatar hollered and scampered off while I chased after him with my sand.

Toph snickered at the sight of the two of us before checking out what Sokka was up to. The Water Tribe boy was still furiously working on a sand sculpture of his own. Pretty soon, Aang and I stopped our cat and mouse chase to observe. After several trips to the water and back, Sokka revealed his masterpiece...it was definitely something. I wasn't quite sure what he thought it was but all I could see was a sand monster with seaweed hair and shells for teeth.

"Is that a blubbering blob monster?" The air-bender seemed to share my thoughts.

"No!" Sokka objected, looking offended. "It's Suki!" the younger benders and I exchanged a wide eyed glance for a split second before exploding with laughter. Well, Sokka certainly did _try. _

"Oh man," I cried, wiping the corners of my eyes. "If _my _boyfriend made _me _into a beach monster, I might have to bury him on spot!"

"We'll all understand if you dump him!" Toph added.

Suki didn't seem to mind, however. She smiled up at her boyfriend from her seat on her towel. "I think it's sweet." She admitted, to which Sokka swooped down and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. Those two really were a cute couple. Suddenly, my sense began to perk up.

"But it doesn't even look like h-" The avatar began to protest. I smelled the sulfur as it came hurtling towards us and was able to act fast.

"Aang! Move!" I shouted, grabbing the monk by his arm and pulling him away from the sand sculpture before it combusted. The three of us closest shielded ourselves from the sand that rained down upon us. My first thoughts were: _we're under attack! _But how? And who?

When the air cleared, Zuko could be seen jumping over a low dune. His fists alternated punches, shooting out orange jets...our way. _What? _It didn't take long to put two and two together and realize he was targeting Aang. The avatar ran, hopping clear over Toph's sand Ba Sing Se before Zuko destroyed it.

So many thoughts ran through my head. What in Agni was the prince doing? Why?! The air-bender took refuge behind the sand App he had made only ten minutes ago. Once the prince dropped down to the beach, I called out to him. "Zuko, stop! What are you doing?" The scarred boy stopped his movements for a short moment. He didn't even look in my direction.

"Teaching him a lesson!" Soon after, a ray of fire shot out at Aang's hiding lace. The monk used his air-bending to dodge the blasts and then he bounded up the rocks of the small cliffs boarding the beach. Zuko fired right after him and then climbed up the ledges himself.

_What does he think he's doing? Has he finally lost it? _I couldn't ask myself any other questions because Katara came rushing out of the water.

"What happened?" She demanded. "What's going on? Where's Aang?" None of us had a clear explanation; it all happened in a second and for no reason it seemed. Sokka knelt down in the remains of his creation.

"Zuko's gone crazy!" He threw his arms in the air. "I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!" The tan boy tried fixing the damage that had been done. "Oh, and he's attacking Aang." He added as an after thought.

"That idiot is going to kill them both! I'm gonna stop them!" I declared, racing up the elevated path to the royal beach house. I could hear the others hurrying after me.

Though I couldn't see where the boys were, I could definitely hear them. The sound of fire was kind of hard to miss. I followed the noise up to the steps of the estate where we were earlier that day. I had a feeling they were duking it out inside the manor and the adrenaline rushing through my veins coaxed me to move faster. I burst through the doors and darted up to the second floor, listening carefully for the boys' whereabouts. At the end of the hallway I sprinted down, I could see Zuko sending a barrage of flames at what I assumed was Aang. I picked up my speed and charged at the prince.

I dived into the air and had just collided with Zuko's torso when Aang shouted, "ENOUGH!" There was a hint of gold in his eyes similar to the flames surrounding him. The monk rooted his stance and pushed out a tunnel of wind at us. Aang's eyes widened once he realized he had attacked me as well. The next thing we knew, Zuko and I were soaring through the splintered walls and into the trees surrounding the estate. The fall didn't feel too good mind you.

I grabbed at the tree trunk in front of me for balance as I stood up slowly. There were a few cuts on my legs from the wall we had just busted through; no doubt I'd have a couple bruises come the next day.

"Look what you did to her!" The scarred prince yelled up at the damaged balcony where Aang stood.

"What _I _did?" The avatar repeated before bounding down to our level. "This wouldn't have happened at all if you hadn't completely lost it!"

"What in spirits is wrong with you?" Katara chimed in. "You could have seriously hurt them both." Zuko rose to his feet and I could already anticipate a holler match that was sure to follow.

"What's wrong with all of you?" He reversed the question. "Sozin's comet is three days away- how can you all sit around having beach parties and do nothing?" I agreed that we needed to prepare, but attacking one another wasn't the best option in order to be ready. My friends starred at the scarred boy in silence. "What?" He demanded. "You're all looking at me like I'm crazy!"

"I was actually going to wait until after the comet came to fight the Firelord." The avatar admitted. My ears perked up. Aang had never once shared this information with me. I wonder if everyone else knew. "I need more time to master fire-bending."

"And you think _three _days is going to make a difference?" I stepped over some plants to join the group. "Why on earth would you wait until Ozai has the power of a hundred suns to fight him?" This plan seemed very illogical to me. "Aang I know you're the avatar and you're one talented and powerful guy, but Ozai's been around longer than all of us and he has way more experience. I've trained with the man, I've seen what he can do. I wouldn't want to fight him then." Aang looked at me with a slightly different expression on his face; there was worry in his eyes.

"Much can happen in three days, Karuna. You never know." Katara sighed. "Originally the plan was to defeat Ozai before the comet but now that the Fire Nation pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se, there's no point to rush it. Aang's going to fight the Firelord after the comet completely. It can't get any worse." Oh, but how wrong she was.

"Yes, it can." Zuko shared my exact thoughts. "It's gonna get worse than you can imagine. The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting..." The prince began to relay to us what happened that day and what plans had been made. The looks on everyone's faces when they found out about Azula's proposition to burn everything to the ground-had they _not _met the princess? though the scheme greatly worried me, it didn't surprise me one bit that Azula had come up with it. My blood still boiled. The Fire Nation was going to use the power of the comet to wipe out the Earth Kingdom. Completely.

Katara sunk to the ground. "I can't believe this." W_ell you better start believing it!_

"I always knew the Firelord was a bad guy but his plan is just pure evil." Sokka breathed. Evil. _Just _evil? There was no word to describe the monster. He was a terrible father and a corrupted leader turned tyrant.

"Well what did you all think he was gonna do during the comet?" I suddenly snapped. "Sit back on his throne and take a snooze? Maybe play a little pai sho? Have you _forgotten _who we're dealing with?" My friends were a little shocked by my tone even- Zuko. I normally wasn't so quick to lash out but in all honesty they were being so thick-headed about everything. They were missing the bigger picture.

"I know this is scary," The prince sympathized with the air-bender. "And you're destined to save the world. But if you don't fight the Firelord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save."

The avatar's eyes were a dark gray and rightfully so. He held the burden of the whole world on his shoulders. "fighting the Firelord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together," He began. "But I wouldn't want to do it any other way." Our friends began to embrace and then called Zuko and I to join in on the group hug. I thought at first the scarred boy would refuse, but after a quick glance at me, he cooperate.

"Keep your hands to yourself, sparky!" Toph exclaimed.

"What? I'm not even touching..." Zuko sputtered but then stopped after he realize she had only said it to give him a hard time. "Funny." All of a sudden. Our Sky Bison friend swooped down on us, knocking everyone off their feet into a dog pile.

"I guess Appa wanted in on this too!" Sokka chuckled.

After our little team chat, Zuko and I went to train with Aang in the courtyard. By then I had put some normal clothes on; the Fire Nation school uniform which I had torn the sleeves off of and shortened the pants length.

"There's a technique you have to learn before facing my father." Zuko inform the avatar. "How to redirect lightning." I was intrigued by the focus of this new lesson, as was Aang! It definitely was crucial to surviving the fight against Ozai but I was not aware that the prince knew how to do this. Zuko then showed us a demonstration. He started with both arms held up at an angle and then he pulled one down near his torso and then pushed it out at his other side. "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow. You basically turn your opponent's energy against them." The way he explained it reminded me of Suki's art form.

"That...that's just like water-bending!" The air-bender made the connection. Zuko nodded his head, glad that our pupil was able to recognize the familiarity.

"Uncle showed you this, didn't he?" I asked the prince. Though I knew Zuko was smart and skilled, I had a feeling someone else had taught him this particular move and my first guess was Iroh.

"Yes," The scarred boy answered me. "He came up with it himself by studying water-benders." the motion of the technique was loose and very fluid. It did look influenced by water-bending.

"Have you ever redirected lightning before?" Aang asked Zuko as the boy's and I continued to practice the move.

"Only once. Against my father." The dark haired boy responded, looking grim. My eyes widened a tad. _Shit. _When had this happened? I had redirected Ozai's lightning once as well but it had been for training- not combat. Something told me the incident must have been hostile. The boy was brace to take on his father.

"What did it feel like?" Aang was eager to know. Zuko exhaled and brought his arms down in front of him into a ready position.

"Exhilarating." the boy breathed. That one word alone seemed to sum it all up. Instantly, my mind gathered pieces and fragments of memory of all the times I had dealt with lightning. The adrenaline, the surge, the rush. It was by far the greatest sensation in the world, in my opinion anyway. Better than a cup of Uncle Iroh's tea. Better than the thrill of the fight. Better than any intimacy with anyone; Jet, Katara, Azula or even Jin. It was bliss in a sense. "But terrifying." The brooding teen added and he couldn't have been more right. When you conjured lightning, you held a near unstoppable force in your hands, and when defending against it there was always the risk that it could end you.

"It's a lot of power to harness." I explained to the monk. "If you make a wrong move it could be over." The Air Nomad's already large eyes grew wider.

"Not _over-_over...I mean, there's always Katara and some spirit water action, eh?" The kid was scared; I could see it plain on his face. Even though he was trying to make a joke out of it, I could see right through him. The thought of dying was horrifying. The thought of failing the world frightened him.

From on the steps of the sidelines, the Water Tribe girl gave the avatar a solemn stare. "Actually Aang, I used it all up when Azula shot you in Ba Sing Se." Within seconds, the bald monk's face fell. I felt bad for the kid; I'd certainly want a plan B in case things got ugly.

"Can...can you show me how to create lightning?" The hopeful boy asked the scarred prince. Zuko scratched the back of his head.

"Um my uncle only showed me how to redirect lightning. I don't know how to make it." He admitted. Across from me, Aang looked slightly disappointed. I chewed my lip, mulling over the decision in my mind. Teaching Aang how to create lightning could take time-time that we didn't have. And on top of that, I had never instructed anyone on how to do so.

"I do." I decided at last. All six...er eight eyes were on me; Katara and Momo included.

"You do?" Zuko looked bewildered. I guess he had never seen me do it with his own eyes.

"Yeah. Before your sister even." I added smugly, the spirit of competition still lingering within me. In truth that was a pretty shaky claim. I had been away from the Fire Nation the year I had discovered how to generate lightning. For all I knew, the princess could have learned two days after I had left.

I grabbed the monk's shoulders gently. "I want you to understand this: lightning is one of the most destructive things you will ever encounter. If Ozai uses it, and I can guarantee you he will, the best thing to do is get the hog-monkeys out of the way. Unless you're too close to him, dodge and evade. Don't try to tackle the lightning unless you have no other option. It's not worth it." Aang nodded his head. I let go of the boy and took a few steps back. "If someone uses lightning on you in combat, but better hope the spirits grant you vision because you'll be a lucky turtle-duck if you can see it coming." I made sure the two boys were far enough away from me before performing.

I slid my feet apart into a nice horse stance and began to gather energy in my hands. I formed a zigzag pattern with my arm. It had been months since I had last cast lightning, yet somehow I was able to harness up the energy needed quickly. Bits of static formed around my wrists until I took my right arm and executed a sudo high into the air. The white and blue sizzling energy escaped my fingertips and crackled in the sky for mere seconds. As soon as the rush hit me, it was gone. I stood there positioned in my follow through, breathing heavier than I had been previously. I couldn't believe how long it had been since I had last conjured lightning. How I had missed the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The pure energy was truly the best feeling in life.

"You see that?" I asked the boys, specifically Aang. "If I was aiming at you, you'd barely have the time to raise your arms up in defense. "That's why you'll need to stay close to Ozai but not too close."

"How come we've never seen you use it before?" The Air Nomad asked me after some moments in silence. "Not even after the eclipse."

"It drains you." I informed the avatar. "Maybe not at first but it catches up to you eventually. It's too much power for one person. That's why I'm not going to teach you how to bend lightning." The avatar's eyes grew once more. I could see disillusionment, and possibly anger. "Not yet." I finished my statement.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Sokka brought the team up to a more mountainous terrain of the island so we could practice battle tactics and strategies. "Gather round team avatar!" We all sat near the Water Tribe boy. He was in the process of adding a carved melon on top of a post, which acted as our 'Firelord Ozai.' We even had spare robes to dress it in; it was like a Firelord scarecrow. "If we're gonna take out the Firelord...or <em>Melon-lord, <em>our timing has to be perfect." the darker skinned boy took a stick and began drawing plans in the dirt, describing what each of us ought to do; he and Suki would attack from the left, Katara and Zuko would charge straight in and Aang would sneak in from the right, unnoticed, to deliver the final blow while I covered him. It was a battle technique I had seen before and it rarely ever faltered. "And Toph, you're the Melon-lord's forces."

"I get to chuck flaming rocks at people?" To everyone's dismay, the answer was yes.

Soon after, we all were stationed in our positions waiting for Sokka to give the signal. My cousin was cackling and I began to wonder if making her our 'enemy' was a good decision or not. Then, Sokka and Suki began to move left near the ledges while Zuko and Katara took the path straight forward. Boy were they surprised when rock replicas of Fire Nation soldiers popped out of the ground. Toph was doing a great job acting as our opponent. My friends were able to get passed the stone soldiers but when the flaming boulders began to fall was when I started to worry a little.

"Watch it Toph!" Sokka hollered after nearly getting crushed and burned.

"I am not Toph!" My cousin declared from the angled ledge she defended. " I am _Melon-lord!" _More evil laughter followed suit and my concern doubled. I feared the blind girl was having way too much fun. The black haired girl went right on launching her ammunition, this time aiming for the prince and the water-bender. I had to admit, for elements opposite of one another they made a pretty good team. Then it was my turn.

I hopped down from my place on top of the rocks and sprinted down the right route Aang was supposed to take. I did this ahead of time in order to clear the way for him. I kicked and smashed my way through Toph's soldiers and I barely had to use my bending. Only once did I almost lose my head from flying, flaming rocks. Aang then sprung up from the plateau he had been waiting on and was coming down fast onto the Melon-lord. Then...

The monk stopped once he hit the ground, staff raised slightly above the Melon-lord's head. What was he doing?

"Aang come on! What are you waiting for?" Zuko called out to him. "Take him out!" The air-bender lowered his head and gaze. Sokka sheathed his sword and stormed up the ledge.

"If this was the real thing, you'd be shot full of lightning right now!"

"I'm sorry!" The avatar apologized. "But it didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself. "I could sympathize with the boy. We were asking a lot of him; to take someone's life. It was a touchy subject, one I knew all too well in fact. But the warrior boy was right. Zuko was right. We had to keep pushing Aang or he'd never defeat Ozai. We had to keep pushing him or we'd never win this war.

"You have to strike Ozai before he has the chance to strike you." I said to the bald monk. I turned my torso and pushed out my arm towards the Melon-lord. A smaller bolt of lightning struck the melon, making it explode into pieces all over the ground; its juices spilled out onto the dirt and Momo came to pick up the scraps in a heartbeat. "Otherwise he'll do to you what I just did to this melon."

* * *

><p>Aang was pretty quiet and to himself for the rest of the day. I felt bad for earlier; we were all trying to get him to do something he clearly wasn't comfortable with doing. He even sat away from us that night when we ate in the courtyard. His back was turned to us as well. I picked up my plate and went over to join him. "Hey buddy." I greeted the air-bender. Aang shrugged his shoulders silently and pushed the food around on his plate with his chopsticks. I frowned. I hated seeing the boy this way.<p>

"Aang, I'm sorry about earlier. We all kind of shoved the whole Firelord thing at you. I know you think there might be another way but I don't think there is a second solution this time." The bald monk sighed and began shifting food around his plate again.

"No one understands how hard this is for me." the boy stared down at his hands. "I mean, it goes against everything the monks ever taught me." His gray eyes were sad and confused. His people believed that all life was sacred. All his life he had been raised to live a peaceful life and now we were all asking him cast that away and partake in an act of violence. It was a lot to request and it wasn't exactly fair.

"I know. I wish you didn't have to do it either. I wish there was another way out of this. I don't want anymore deaths in this war either, but it's Ozai. This needs to-"

"He's still a person." The air-bender interrupted me. For a split seconds his gaze was very intense and almost hostile. I admired him greatly in those moments. How he valued every single life regardless of benevolence or malice. And while the avatar was right, my position on the issue still stood.

"You're right Aang." I corrected myself and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "but if you knew him the way I did, you'd think differently." The two of us shared a glance before the monk began to eat his dinner slowly.

"I have a surprise for everyone!" Katara announced once she had returned from inside the mansion. In her hand was a rolled up scroll. I wondered if it was a document of some sort.

Before anyone could so much as ask what it was, my cousin blurted out, " I knew it! You _did _have a secret thing with Haru!" It was so unbelievably random, that all anyone could do was stare at Toph. The pale girl smiled happily, looking very pleased with herself for her 'great epiphany'.

"Uh...no." Katara dismissed the accusation.

"Ohh ohh! Can I guess again?" My cousin didn't even wait for an answer. "You and sifu had a-" I shot up from my seat and walked over to the others. That was quite enough out of Toph.

"Whatcha got there, Katara?" I asked her, drowning out Toph's voice. The look she gave me said 'thank you' and she continued.

" I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this!" She unraveled the scroll for us to see. It was the portrait of a child that couldn't have been over a year old. "Look at baby Zuko!" The water-bender giggled. Our friends laughed and cooed with her; the baby on the scroll was pretty darn cute. Somehow, I had a feeling it wasn't actually the prince. Maybe it was because the dark haired teen didn't seem as embarrassed as I would think he'd be.

"You know that's not me right?" He asked us. "It's my father." The silence was so alarming and sudden that you could hear a pin drop. It seemed as though no one was expecting that plot twist.

"But he looks so cute and innocent." Suki protested.

"Yeah well that cute and innocent kid grew up to be a monster." Zuko pouted. "And the worst father in the history of fathers." The prince slumped forward, resting his chin on his arms. I tilted my head to the side.

"I can vouch for him. Ozai was a kind of awful parent." I said rather bluntly. "No wonder you and Azula are so screwy in the head." I leaned forward to mess with his hair.

"I don't care what any of you say," Aang stood up, his plate in hand. "The Firelord is still a person like us, and trying to dehumanize him like that won't make a difference." The young monk walked past all of us swiftly and into the manor.

Katara stalked after him to stop him but then Zuko said to her, "Let him go. He needs space and time to figure this out." I hoped he was right. But how much time did the boy need? How much could we spare?

Soon after, the gang and I decided it was a good time to cool down for the rest of the night. For a while I stayed in my designated room and did some yoga to relax my mind and strengthen my body. The routines were good for flexibility and agility; soon I was at ease. It was when I stood up after my exercise to light some candles by my bed when I felt this strange build up in my back. It wasn't quite pain, more uncomfortableness than anything. At first I thought maybe I needed to crack it. I performed a back-bend over the carpet and soon figured out that wasn't the solution. Next I tried laying on my stomach on my bed. That worked for all of two minutes. The discomfort in my back distracted me from drifting off into a peaceful sleep. I sat up on the mattress and pivoted my torso to the right and to the left. I felt a couple pops in my lower back but that didn't solve the problem either. I sighed heavily and soon gave up. It seemed as though sleep would not come easily to me that night.

It wasn't long until I left my room to take a midnight stroll. I did my best to remain quiet so I wouldn't wake my friends; I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate being kept up. I wandered out onto a balcony that was still intact on the second floor. I looked out at the night sky. Though it was dark, I could still see clouds up in the air. The moon was reflected in the crystal clear waters of the beach. I leaned my arms against the railing and sighed, enjoying the cool breeze of the night.

"Trouble sleeping?" I'll admit, the voice startled me a tad. I turned to my left to see the Kyoshi Warrior crossing the threshold to join me. "I thought I heard you come out here." I smiled at her and nodded my head.

"I was fine earlier, I don't know what happened. It just feels like there's something in my back...maybe I pulled something?" I tried to reach behind me to the part of my back that was bothering me.

"It's probably a knot." Suki explained. "Here let me help." Her hands were instantly on my shoulders and back, working out the kinks. Her touch was firm but at the same time it felt pretty great. "Wow you've got a lot of tension. I can feel it." I half laughed.

"Yeah I guess I do. Don't know why though." For the next couple of minutes, a comfortable silence filled the gap between our dialogue. We simply stood on the balcony enjoying one another's company while also enjoying the view.

"So lightning, huh?" Suki said after a bit. I titled my head to glance sideways at her.

"Yeah, did you hear it?" I chuckled.

"Well Katara mentioned it too." The warrior girl told me. That made sense; she, Sokka and Toph were most likely in town while the water-bender stayed on the estate with the other two boys and I. "You know, the last time I saw lightning, up close anyway, was back on Kyoshi Island." The blue eyed girl continued. "Before Azula and her minions captured the girls and I." Suki referred to her fellow warriors. I had almost forgotten about her encounter with the Fire Nation princess. Azula, Mai and Ty Lee had attacked and captured the Kyoshi Warriors in order to pose as them in Ba Sing Se. They had been able to take the city down from the inside because of their disguises.

"It seems you had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the royal princess." I laughed dryly as Suki worked out the tension around my shoulder blades. "She definitely loves her lightning." I nodded my head. "More than life itself." Suki giggled at my quip.

"I've been meaning to tell you..." She began in a more serious tone and I wondered what news she had to bring me. "After Azula's posse had beaten us, and we were still held captive on the island, I caught bits and pieces of a lot of their conversations. She often mentioned someone who I guess used to be a friend or an ally. Betrayal came up a lot. At first I had no idea who they were referring to and I tuned most of it out, but then a few weeks ago when I heard Zuko call you 'Sankari' it all made sense. Azula had been talking about you."

I swallowed and felt a slight lump in my throat. I hated talking about the princess. It wasn't because she was evil; I already knew that when I started dating her in the first place. It wasn't because I resented her. It was because of the memories. "We were good friends once." _Yes...friends..._I decided that was a story for another time. The whole world didn't need to know about mine and Azula's relationship. Plenty were already informed as it was. "We both thought we were going to conquer the world." I grinned, remembering our younger and more reckless years. "But we had different goals in the long run. If I betrayed her, she definitely betrayed me. The Boiling Rock. That was all it took for the stinging sensation to return in my eyes. I shut them tight to prevent them from leaking. There were times when I wished we lived in an alternate world, where there was no war and there was no conflict among the nations; so I could return to the princess and things could be the way they were once. But our paths were written and no amount of ink or paper could rewrite them.

"Hmm seems like everyone wants to conquer the world these days." The Kyoshi Warrior teased. I leaned my head back to glance at her.

"It's getting kind of old if you ask me." I continued our banter. "Maybe I'll become queen of the Si Wong Desert." The auburn haired girl snorted.

"Good luck with that. At least you won't have to burn everything to the ground to get what you want." I waved a finger at her and made a face.

"Well that's the way you do it, don'tcha know?"Suki raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side then." Nothing but sarcasm. She was awesome.

"Don't worry, I'll spare you." I reassured the warrior girl. "The others too- damn how are you so good at this?" I glanced at Suki over my shoulder. The knot in my back had pretty much vanished and the rest of my muscles were loosened and relaxed. The blue eyed girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Beats me."

"Oh you know, now I'm starting to feel it in my left side. Like over here." I pointed to the spot I described. "And then like right here too." I guess the Kyoshi Warrior didn't buy it because soon she was calling out my bluff.

"You don't have to make up excuses. I can keep massaging your back if you want." She smirked subtly at me and I began to feel a little sheepish. I rested my chin against the wooden railing in front of me.

"Sorry, you're just really good at this."

"I know," Suki chuckled. "It's a gift.

The next morning, we loaded up our Sky Bison in order to move camp again. We had loaded all of our belongings onto the beast when Toph noticed something. "Where's Twinkle Toes?" On cue, everything looked around, but our avatar was nowhere to be seen. It was a little bothering that no one knew where he was. He could have just overslept; it was uncharacteristic of the monk but given the situation he was in now, it made sense.

Katara, Toph and Suki went back inside the mansion to see if he needed to wake up while Sokka, Zuko and I checked the beach. Maybe the air-bender was practicing down there. When the three of us got down to the sand, we saw a set of footprints going straight into the ocean. It was eerie and thoroughly confusing. There was nothing out in the water. Where could the Air Nomad have gone?

"So he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki tried piecing together what we had so far. No one had an answer.

"Maybe he was captured!" Katara thought of the worst scenario. But wouldn't we have heard a tumult of someone came for Aang? Sokka studied the prints in the sand.

"I don't think so. There's no sign of a struggle..." The boy stood up again.

"You think he voluntarily left? He didn't take his staff with him, or even Appa." I deducted. My cousin crossed her arms.

"I bet he ran away again." At first I felt she was being mean but then I remembered that the air-bender had done that once before when he was afraid. That could have been the explanation. "What do you think, oh sleuthy one?" The blind girl addressed Sokka. The Water Tribe boy paused, glanced at the tracks then back to the estate.

"Aang's on a spirit world journey." The warrior boy declared. "Think about it; he disappears right before an important battle. Where else could he be?" It was a good hunch only one teensy tiny flaw...

"But if he were in the spirit world, wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko brought up an excellent point. The six of us glanced back and forth at one another nervously. Our avatar had gone missing and it was urgent that we found him quickly. He could be anywhere on the island or maybe...elsewhere even.

"The comet is only two days away." I reminded the group, my tone grim. " We have to find him before it arrives."


	23. Author's Note: Guess Who's Back

**Author's Apology**

Hi everyone, I would like to apologize for the long, unplanned hiatus. I'm going to be honest, I was not in a good place mentally for a while. O lost my passion for writing, and even music- things that I love. Then I started to focus more on my college classes, new job (starbucks) and life back in the fall. I have made some progress with the fic, but I haven't been setting time aside to write like I used to. Well now that I'm done with my first year, I've been at my job for 8 months and it is summer, there is no reason why I cannot continue to write and update for everyone's enjoyment.

I want to thank everyone who hasn't given up on me. I appreciate all of my followers and readers. You guys motivate me to keep sharing my talents and I love reading your constructive critiques and criticisms. It means alot to me that you've taken the time to check out my work and even add me to your alerts and favorites. It sounds corny but it makes me feel special and awesome. I definitely want to make it a point to keep active, keep updating and keep writing. Now that I have plenty of time, I should have a new chapter up by the end of this week. I'm excited to get back into the swing of things, and I'm ready to see this fic through to the end!

Thank you for your patience!

Saige aka **Th3rdhal3**


	24. So This Is Loss: Part II

**Author's Note:** I cannot tell you guys how much I appreciate your support and faith (however much left it is xD) in me. I promise to uphold this story and keep you guys updated and happy! Enjoy-we're coming towards the end here! (I also apologize it's a bit shorter than I wanted)  
><strong>~th3rdhal3~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Come on!" Zuko suddenly took off back up the way we came on the beaches, leaving the crystal-clear water behind. The gang and I followed, most of them looking confused and divided on what our next move should be. Once the scarred teen began readying Appa for departure, all the questions and comments poured out.<p>

"We're leaving?" Suki asked.

Katara ceased her movement towards the Sky Bison. "We can't go anywhere." She gestured out towards the water. "What if Aang comes back?" That was a big if. I wanted to believe he would return that minute even, only it seemed things weren't that easy.

"What if he doesn't?" Zuko redirected the question., now seated on top of Appa's head with the reins in his hand. "I know it's a long shot, but I know someone who might be able to help us. Unless we can come up with a more solid plan, we don't have any other options." The water-bender looked as though she was going to argue until she was blue in the face. She then, at the last second, decided against it.

I climbed up Appa's shaggy side and swung myself into the saddle. "We gotta go now then," I beckoned my friends to join the prince and I on our animal friend. "Every minute we waste is a minute that's lost. And we _cannot_ afford to lose anymore."

We spent all day airborne, and during that time, all I could think about was the bald monk. Had he really run away? I thought Toph's comment earlier was mean. Sure, the kid was scared but he was more capable now than ever to fight the Firelord. I hoped no one had taken him. Our only enemies were currently back in the Fire Nation. Who would do such a thing? The fact that I knew nothing bothered me, and for the rest of the trip, my mind wouldn't allow me to relax.

Finally, when darkness began to fall, Zuko landed us near a shady building alive with such a ruckus it could only be the house for gambling, thievery, and brawling. It appeared I wasn't the only skeptical one as we all slid off of Appa.

"Before you met us, you must have had some really sketchy friends." Sokka commented, scanning the locale.

"She's not a friend." Zuko bit back as he lead us into the tumultuous tavern. The gang and I filed in through the doors and then witnessed a spectacular sight.

A bar fight had taken place and it seemed as though just about every thug was involved in some way. They were targeting the girl with the maroon tattoo. Her dark hair, eyes and garments were a wonderful contrast to her ever so pale skin. The skeletal hair clip added to her dark and mysterious image. The woman was skilled in combat, fending off the bar knaves of every size without so much as a scratch. And all without spilling a drop from her cup; the glass was high priority.

"Well somebody likes her liquid confidence." Suki chuckled, gently elbowing me.

"Hey, I wouldn't blame her," I whispered back to the Kyoshi Warrior. "Especially if it's sake."

"June." Zuko pointed and approached the scary, yet quite attractive woman. She took a swig from her cup and lazily turned her head to face the scarred boy.

"Oh great, it's prince pouty." She groaned. It was definitely true when Zuko said she wasn't his friend. "Where's your creepy grandpa?" The question stumped even me. _Creepy grandpa? Oh spirits! Uncle! _The older man had quite the way with the ladies, and there was no doubt he tried to put the moves on this woman named June.

"He's my uncle," The prince scowled as he corrected her. "And he's not here right now."

Katara's brows furrowed. "Wait a minute!" The water-bender pointed an accusing finger. "She's that girl you hired to attack us!" I almost lost it. Zuzu had hired someone _else _to do his bidding? The boy would deny it until the hippo-cows came home but he was more like his sister than he realized.

"I see you've worked shit out with your girlfriend." June remarked casually before taking another sip from her beverage. It took a lot to restrain laughter. The opposing benders did a double take, both protesting that they were not each others' significant other. It made the situation all the more comical because their objections were in unison. June waved her hand at them, dismissing her previous comment. "Alright, alright. Only kidding. So what did you need?"

"We need you to help us track the avatar." Zuko told her. So this was the master plan; hiring a professional bounty hunter to find Aang for us. It wasn't a half bad thought but it was kind of insulting to think we couldn't find the monk on our own.

"Hmm. Doesn't sound like much fun." The woman sighed. She sounded bored. The prince was taken back by her statement. He resorted to using his outdoor voice...which often doubled as his inside voice as well.

"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?!" The scarred boy got up nice and close. He wanted her to know how serious his request was. Without Aang, we were at a huge disadvantage.

June gave up her banter for the time being and finally listened. She studied our group. Then, unforgiving chestnut eyes were soon burning holes into my skull. The bounty hunter set her cup down loudly against the table beside her and rose to her feet. "I remember you." Her words were cold, curt and cut through the atmosphere like sharpened blades. All I could do was return the gaze at a loss for words. I was sure I had never seen the woman before in my life. June towered over me at what I assumed was just under six feet. "You're the fire brat who burned down my hometown." My heart sunk in my chest. When would my past stop coming back to haunt me. How many people had I hurt back then? Far too many. And to make matters worse, I could not even begin to recall the village in which June spoke of. How many had it been? How many had I forsaken?

I was speechless still, and the bounty hunter could clearly see that. What could I have said to her? To simply apologize would be an insult if not worse. "Koma." She said the name. "I wouldn't expect you to remember. Or to care." I felt the sting of her venomous words. Despite her assumption, I _did _remember. The name triggered a flashback of visuals I had stored somewhere deep in my subconscious. The land was lush and beautiful. The trees were remarkable and grand. The air was sweet and fresh. It was a shame my troops and I had come to this place. It was a pity I had to do what I did. The town had resisted. I would not be walked over and defeated by commoners. By rebels. And I would not fail my ruler.

"You can go to hell." June narrowed her eyes at me and the turned around, leaving the conversation. It felt as though I had been slapped. Physically and figuratively. Like the time Azula had struck me at the Boiling Rock. It left a sour taste in my mouth and a slow burn to accompany it.

"I've already been there." I muttered, feeling mass amounts of guilt and as small as an ant. My eyes were glued to the wooden floorboards.

"What was that?" June turned her body back to face me. I glanced up immediately in response to her hostile tone. I had honest to Agni thought she hadn't heard me.

"I said," I cleared my throat. "'I've already been there.'" It had been spoken, might as well own up to the retort.

The tattooed rogue took steps towards me again. Her movement and aura made me backtrack, but only slightly. I couldn't let this woman intimidate me. I couldn't let her berate me and step on me. "Do me a favor and stop pretending you've had it as bad as the rest of us." It frustrated me that I had to look up at June as she talked down to me. "Life is _so_ hard when you're a ranking official with minions doing your bidding. I've sure it's even harder when you're on the winning side of war."

I bit my lower lip from the inside. There were so many things I could have countered with. A Pandora's box I could have unlocked. No. I wouldn't retaliate. I would prove I could be the bigger person and let this go; but was it my right to do so? This altercation between the bounty hunter and I made me think of all the wrong and ill work I had done. I had hurt families, broken homes and destroyed habitats. All because I was following my own set of orders. _Spirits, I was so blind! _To never ask questions, to never think outside of the Fire Nation box I had been programed into. Maybe June was right. Maybe I deserved to be sent to the Underland.

But I had been wronged and stepped on too. Though a good portion of my life had been loving and nurturing, I knew a similar pain and emptiness. It was then that I realized a person _does _have control over how much or how little a compromising situation will reduce them. No matter what kind of hardships or suffering a person has endured, it givers them no right to inflict that same suffering upon others so the burden feels lighter. I vowed that once the war was over and won, I would find every village I had ever crossed and heal it.

"Are you going to help us or not?" Suki came to my defense. The girl was my rescuer as of late, and I appreciated her level-headedness. Her expression wasn't quite a glare, but it was evident she wasn't too fond of the rogue woman. The auburn haired girl placed her hands on her hips. "End of the world, remember?"

The group and I followed June out back behind the tavern. At first, it appeared as though her beast and Appa were going to duke it out. _Oh great, not this. _Then the Sky Bison surprised everyone by bathing Nyla with his tongue. I soon found out the animal was a Shirshu and could track down anything if a scent was available. I also learned that it's tongue could temporarily paralyze a person.

June held out her hand, gazing at all of us. We quickly looked among each other to see if anyone had something of Aang's. Katara climbed into Appa's saddle to retrieve the avatar's staff. June held it up to the Shirshu's nose. Nyla soon went to work, sniffing the ground and pacing around the dark environment. I knew something was wrong when after circling us multiple times, the brown and black creature lay on the ground with its paws covering its snout. Had something upset it?

"Um, what does that mean?" Zuko asked after crossing his arms.

June had begun consoling her animal companion. "Means your friend's gone." She stated the obvious while rubbing Nyla's fur.

"Yeah, we know." Toph responded, slightly agitated. "That's _why _we're trying to find him." This seemed like a no-brainer. The bounty hunter shook her head.

"No. I mean gone-gone. He doesn't exist." As if on cue, all twelve eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. _Doesn't exist? How? _

"Does that mean he's..." I didn't want to say the words. "...dead?" My voice was hushed and shaky. How else could the monk "not exist?" I seemed to have taken the words right out of Sokka's mouth, for the Water Tribe boy gaped silently at the mysterious woman before pointing at me and declaring,

"What she said!"

June shook her head once more. "We could find him if he were dead...wow, it's a real head-scratcher." The subtle perkiness in her tone bothered me greatly; she seemed not to care. "See ya!" The woman climbed onto the saddle of her animal. _Extremely helpful. _

_ "_Wait!" Zuko protested before the bounty hunter could ride off into...the moonlight I suppose. "There's only one other person who can help us defeat the Firelord. I'll be right back." the prince went to rummage through his belongings in the saddle.

"You saved Uncle's gross, sweaty sandal?" I stared at the scarred boy peculiarly. Everyone except Zuko recoiled, shuddered and even held their nose at the smell sample. I couldn't blame them. Flies were beginning to claim the shoes as their own. June's Shirshu instantly gravitated towards the sandal, taking in the scent of Iroh.

"Alright, let's go!" June exclaimed, Shirshu hot on the trail. The rest of us scrambled onto Appa in order to follow her. The hunt was on!

We had traveled until dusk of the next day. I was concerned about time, but we had no other real options. We followed the rogue woman up steep slopes, rocky mountain passes and dry desert stretches. All we could hope for as to find who were were looking for in a timely manner. If we could accomplish this, perhaps we could also find another way to win the war.

It was nightfall when we arrived at the cracked, ancient stone walls of the once impenetrable fortress. "We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko's confusion most likely reflected what the gang was feeling on the inside. Nyla sniffed around some loose stones and scratched her claws at the larger rocks.

"Nyla's getting twitchy so it can't be too far. Your uncle is somewhere beyond the wall." June explained, grasping hold of her reins tighter. "Good luck. Hope you find him." For once, her tone sounded...genuine. At least for her. I figured the least I could do was show my gratitude.

"Thank you." I bowed my head to her, as she and her creature began to pass us. The woman in black then looked upon me and our gaze lasted several moments in silence. This time, her sharp eyes conveyed no anger or bitterness.

"Try not to burn anything else, okay Smokey?" I couldn't tell if there was true humor in her words or if I were going crazy. "I know the last of us prefer the world un-scorched." And with that, the bounty hunter snapped the ropes and she and her Shirhsu took off back down the path we came.

"Kind of grows on you, doesn't she?" Sokka looked on after the dust trail. I only shook my head and rubbed with eyes with the heals of my palm.

"After we kick the Firelord's butt, we should recruit her." Toph smiled from the other side of the saddle.

"For what?" Katara wondered.

"For the Bad Girls Club!" My cousin explained. I stifled a laugh. This was a side project the small girl had been working on ever since we had first visited the Earth Kingdom capital. "I'm afraid we can't accept your application, Sugar-Queen. You're a bit too goody-goody. No offense." Katara simply rolled her eyes and turned away from the earth-bender.

"We've had a long day," The scarred prince hopped down from the Sky Bison. "Let's camp and resume our search at dawn." As good of a suggestion as it was, more time was going to slip between our fingers. However, it wouldn't do us much good to search on low rest and high exhaustion. I remembered the last time we had been thrown into that type of situation...it was _not _good.

A ring of fire was what awoken the group and I only few hours later. We were trapped inside it and at first could not see our enemy. Toph and I were both ready to clean their clock, until we noticed some familiar figures atop a rock formation. Master Piando, Jeong-Jeong, and another man with long, silver hair. The older men wore robes of navy and white. Then, a crazy looking old guy with spiky, white hair sprouting from the sides of his head appeared.

"Well look who's here!" The old man snorted in a nasally voice. I assumed this was Aang's friend Bumi based on the description I was once given.

"We're surrounded by old people!" Toph rudely remarked. In hindsight, I don't think she had meant to offend our new company; she was clearly confused.

"These aren't any old people," Katara explained to the blind girl. "These are great masters and friends!" The water-bender respectfully bowed to the silver haired master named Pakku. I guessed he was her water-bending teacher from the North. Soon I was just out of the loop as Toph because the next moment, Katara and Sokka had a new grandfather.

"So how do you all know each other?" Suki asked once we had all greeted one another. King Bumi snorted in good humor at her inquiry.

"All old people know each other, don't you know that?" The ancient ruler burst into another fit of snorts and cackles.

"We're all part of the same ancient secret society." Master Piando informed us. "A group that transcends visions of the four nations." Such a group existed? This revelation made my head spin. This was exactly what the world needed; an organization that united all cultures and regions.

"The Order of the White Lotus." Zuko finished the statement. Clearly, the fire-bender knew more information than the rest of us. Perhaps he had experienced a run-in before. Jeong-Jeong then explained to us that the guild had always been about beauty, philosophy and truth. About a moon ago, they were summoned for something important.

"The call came from a Grand Lotus," Pakku looked directly at the prince. "Your Uncle Iroh of the Fire Nation." _Uncle? A Grand Lotus? _It all made sense. Iroh was a benevolent and wise man who pulled thoughts and ideas from around the world to form his creeds and well-rounded persona. He was able to find good in the other nation as well as teachings and lessons. The ex General also favored the White Lotus tile whenever playing Pai Sho. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it sooner.

"Well that's exactly who we're looking for!" Toph exclaimed, excited to visit the gentle and knowledgeable man again. The masters agreed to take us to him when all of a sudden, Bumi interjected.

"Wait," He shoved Jeong-Jeong and Piando out of the way. "Someone is missing from your group. Someone _very _important...where's momo?" The crazy king stared eye to eye with Sokka at an extreme closeness. I had almost forgotten that the little lemur was missing in action as well. He was a nuisance at times, but a loveable creature nonetheless.

"He's gone," Sokka responded, looking quite uncomfortable. "And so is Aang."

Bumi pulled back into his own personal bubble. "Oh, well as long as they have each other I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." He wasn't even in the least bit concerned? The man seemed to have an awful lot of faith in Aang. That made me consider that maybe the rest of us ought to as well.

As we trekked through the rocky terrain behind the wall, King Bumi relayed to us the thrilling tale of his escape. Apparently, the elder had been captive in his own kingdom for months. The older bender waited until the right time to strike; the solar eclipse. Bumi was able to defeat the powerless fire-benders and revert New Ozai back to Omashu once more. For an old guy, Bumi was incredible! I had not met someone at that age who possessed so much energy and power. I still partly questioned his sanity, but he proved to be an extraordinary warrior and monarch. I tried to imagine the city, the fighting and every detail of his legendary bending as the story was told.

"So what about you guys?" Bumi asked the group once he was done telling his account. "Did you do anything exciting during the eclipse?" Behind the king, Zuko, Sokka, Katara and I exchanged glances before the boys said,

"Nah, not really."

"Here we are," Bumi collapsed a large earth wall blocking off part of a particular clearing. "Welcome to old people camp." Piando pointed Zuko in the direction of his uncle's tent. The scarred boy started off towards it, then sunk to the ground near the entrance. The Water Tribe girl and I were at his side in mere seconds.

"He hates me, I know it." Zuko whimpered. "He loved me and supported me in every way and I still turned against him. I took everything he had taught and done for me for granted. How can I even face him?" I understood his shame and concern, but Iroh was not like his brother. The older man was full of love, compassion and forgiveness.

"You're sorry for your actions, right?" Katara coaxed him and the distraught boy nodded.

"More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life."

"Zukes," I put my hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's Uncle. The man doesn't even know the meaning of the word hate." This brought a tiny smile to the princes' lips. "He loves you so much, as if you were his own son." Ever since the death of Lu Ten, Iroh had taken Zuko under his wing and in my opinion was a far better father than Ozai could ever be. " And if you go to him now and tell him everything you you feel, how can he hate you for that?" It looked as though the boy's golden eyes were beginning to glaze over. I helped him to his feet. "He might have been disappointed at your choices, Zuko, but he will forgive you. Just go to him." The prince pulled back the clothed entrance and the rest of us retreated, allowing them their space.

Once the rest of us began to find sleeping arrangements, I tapped on the shoulder of the Water Tribe boy. "Hey, in the morning we should talk strategy. I have a few ideas...but I want to hear yours as well." The blue eyed boy grinned lightly and gave me a nod of approval.

"We will. First thing tomorrow morning. In fact, we're going to need everyone on board if we want a clean victory. Good night everyone, let's all get some rest." Sokka had come such a long way in our journey. It seemed to me he wasn't just the goofy boy fresh out of the South Pole. He was speaking like a great warrior and leader. His father would be so proud of him.

I tossed and turned in my cot. Despite the nice housing the tents provided, the night was not going well for me. My mind couldn't stop thinking about our air-bender friend. Where was he? Was he okay? _Dammit Aang, where are you? You're scaring me. _I sighed deeply and stared at the tarp covering above me. What would we do if we still couldn't find him? We couldn't keep hiding out and allow the world around us to burn one region at a time. Of course we'd still fight the Fire Nation. We'd never give up without a fight. But what would we be risking this time? We'd lose before we'd even begin. I twisted under my blankets once more and heaved another breath.

"Karuna, is everything alright?" Katara suddenly asked from a few feet to my right. I guess my restlessness had kept her up as well. I felt bad for prohibiting her rest. Just because I was on edge didn't mean I had to make sure everyone else felt the same way. There was so much in store for us tomorrow.

"You guys are awake too?" Suki's voice sounded from the other corner of the tent. The girl lay propped up on her elbow. I decided to sit up too. Now that the three of us had established our soberness, it seemed as though sleep was not going to come. Not just yet. I felt awful for keeping them awake, but then again, the girl's hadn't sound like they had been pulled from any sort of sleep in the first place. Maybe they were just as nervous as I was.

"I'm anticipating the morning." I revealed to them after sitting on the edge of the bed. "It seems so surreal-like this isn't actually happening. I don't know how to feel about...about anything." Tomorrow would be the day that we would stop Ozai. We would have to find a way to disable his forces. There was also a possibility we'd need warriors stationed in the heart of the Fire Nation. Our numbers were even smaller than before. The chances of failure seemed to outweigh the chances of success.

Suki now sat cross-legged atop her bed. "I think I know what you mean. I'm feeling a little bit anxious myself." The auburn haired girl admitted. She pulled at her thumbnail, making a constant clicking sound that was somehow soothing.

"It's just like the eclipse." Katara observed. "Think about how we were all worrying ourselves over that battle. Remember how paranoid the thoughts made us?" I did as the water-bender suggested, recalling the attack only short months ago. While it had been a big and important day, we _had _caused ourselves to panic at different levels at the thoughts of what could or couldn't go wrong. Instead of keeping a calm and open mind, we let our heads create scenarios to further make us fret.

"But we lost." I reminded the water-bender. "We lost _so _much." Her father and his warriors. My brother. Our friends and allies. Katara tilted her head at me, frowning slightly.

"Yes, we did." She agreed. "But we'll lose so much more if we allow ourselves to fall tomorrow." Her words held utmost truth and weight. "That's why we have to win. Because we can't live in a world envisioned by the Firelord." The girl's undying hope was incredible. It's part of the reason I fell for her all those months ago. Her reasoning would have convinced me entirely right there and then had I not known what my former country was capable of. We were of the fire, and fire burns. "Try to empty your thoughts. It'll help you get through the night."

"There's no way I can go to sleep." I told them, shaking my head. "Not when Aang's still missing. Not when the fate of the universe will be determined as of tomorrow." I felt my hands begin to shake as I grasped the side of of my head. Katara squinted in the darkness and then her sapphire-blue eyes widened. In an instant, she was sitting beside me, holding my hands to prevent them from vibrating. Soon, Suki was kneeling in front of us.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright." The warrior girl grasped my hands and tried to reassure me. "We're gonna do this and we'll come out on top. We always do." I wanted to believe them, but anything was bound to happen the next day. I took a deep breath after taking several shallow ones. I didn't know what I was afraid of; the end of everything we held dear, an apocalypse, dying. I couldn't put my finger on my trigger.

"When that comet comes, the world will be set ablaze." My lips were trembling now. "We can't stop them. There's...too many." Somehow, my nostrils took in the scent of ash and smoke. Though nothing was on fire, the smell was strong and my breaths became short again. I blinked slowly, and then fiery woods appeared before me. I gasped and blinked again, seeing only Suki and Katara inside the dark tent. My heart rate sped up and my pulse beat intensely. My chest was slowly tightening and it felt as though not enough air was flowing into my lungs. I twitched once more when the image of the burning forest returned.

The Kyoshi Warrior looked up frantically at the water-bender. "Wh-what's happening? What's wrong with her?" Cerulean eyes gazed up at me. Her speech sounded fuzzy and foreign in my ears.

"It's...some kind of fit. I don't exactly know." The healer informed Suki. It wasn't often that Katara admitted to being clueless. "It's only happened one other time." The Water Tribe girl held my face in her cool hands, trying to steady me and cease my movements. "Please, Karuna. Stay with me." My shallow breaths continued, but now I was doing my best to focus on her voice and hers alone. "We're going to stick together through this. We're going to make it, you'll see. But you have to believe. We have to win because everyone needs us." Soon, I felt bending water message my temples. "We need each other." The back of my head hit the pillow below and my eyelids drooped. "We need you."

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><p>My slumber was peaceful and serene, as if I was sleeping on a cloud; as if I was in other realm entirely. My steady breathing was what eventually woke me from that state of consciousness. The sound seemed to echo in a rounded fashion. When my sensitive eyes opened, I found I was no longer in Ba Sing Se. This place was not of the Earth, and I had almost no recollections of it. I was outside of space and time; transcending.<p>

The air and space around me seemed like the night sky, only brighter and more stars visible. There were bright swirls where colors of green, blue and red mixed. "Hello?" I shouted out into the void, hearing my voice continue on and on until it was just a faint reciprocation. The empty silence was deafening. "Can anyone help me?" I called out again, cupping my hands around my mouth. When I lowered my head from the atmosphere, the scene had changed. All around was a dark mist, and where I stood was a blinding, Celeste light which stretched out as far as the eye could see.

A figure garbed in olive wears, stood a few yards in front of me. "Kyoshi?" I blurted out without thinking. My last spiritual encounter had dealt with the warrior, it was only natural to believe she had returned to further give me council. The woman at first looked...offended? But then, she seemed to stifle a laugh.

"I am not Kyoshi."

How could I have mistaken the two? The lady before me was tan and wore no face paint or war colors of any kind. Her hair was long and brown, ending just around her waist. Grey eyes peered at me from across the distance between us. For a moment, it appeared as though I was staring directly into a mirror.

"Who are you?" I continued to study her. It was like seeing a ghost. The unknown visitor smiled at me, and the expression was filled with such genuineness that I forgot I was uneasy in the first place.

"I am Avatar Sango." My breath was stuck in my lungs for a moment. This woman, this spiritual being, was from two millennium ago. How had I even begun to make that sort of connection? How was I worthy enough for her to bestow her presence upon me? "I am here to help you in this difficult hour, Karuna."

There was so much I wanted to ask her-so much I wanted to tell her. The divine warrior had been my hero since I was a little girl. Her life and story moved me even from such a young age. I had always wanted to be as just, fierce and benevolent as she. I must have been so overwhelmed by this celestial visitor that I soon began trembling again. "Avatar Sango," I began, voice half stuck in the back of my throat. "What do I do?" It wasn't so much of a question as it was a cry or plea. "My friends and the rest of the world need me to rally with them against the Fire Nation. It's what's right- I know this. But I'm so terrified." Water began to well up in my tear ducts. "I'm afraid Aang won't come back, I'm afraid of what I'll do, and I'm afraid we won't succeed. I'm afraid I'll let so many people down."

The past avatar frowned slightly with a look of sympathy. The taller woman drew closer. "Love is a difficult thing, is it not?" Sango seemed to be reading my mind. Her expression seemed to say that she had felt similarly in her time. "It will sometimes seem not worth the effort. It will seem to be the cause of much headache and turmoil." _You can say that again. _" And some relationships are only short-lived. They have their time and then end their course. It is harmful to hold on longer than possible. Like much else in life, you must let these go. Not only for yourself, but for the others as well.

Avatar Aang shares your fears. And he will learn, as will you, to let them drift away." She explained. "As a fire-bender you must be fearless, Karuna. But as an earth-bender, you must also be strong. You have everything you need inside you to help do your part in this battle." The warm smile returned to her face. "I have my confidence in you, Karuna, but you need to have it in yourself. You are so much braver than you realize, stronger than you know and smarter than you believe. There is nothing I can give to further assist you. You already possess it." The woman pointed to my heart. "All I can do is shed light where you have only seen darkness. "

I lifted my head up at the woman. "Will I have to face her?" My body quivered again. "Will I have to fight her?" Again, Sango understood my concerns almost immediately.

"You will have to do many things." The response was at first vague and cryptic. "And you will have to do whatever it takes to stop the war." I nodded, heaving a heavy sigh. This was a fact I had known for a while now. "But that doesn't mean there is only one way. One answer." My ears perked up and grey eyes met grey once more. "Go forth young warrior, the time is now." Avatar Sango and the scene around me suddenly appeared more washed out. It seemed everything was fading yet I still had more questions.

"What about the White Dragon?" Would I ever be able to control it? Would I ever become the fully actualized warrior I was destined to be?

"Make it roar." Sango touched her palm to my forehead and I felt an energy flow through me like I had never felt before. It was passive, yet powerful, and it made me feel all the more alive. When my body recovered, I had bolted upright on my cot. My eyes scanned the material of the tent walls inside the refuge. Ba Sing Se. I came to terms with my location once more. I knew what was at stake and I knew what needed to be done.


	25. So This Is Sacrifice: Part III

Author's Note: Because I'm so particular and a perfectionist, it might seem like I'm about to slip into hiatus again when really I'm working my booty off to finish this fic out strong because I want the end to be a cataclysmic masterpiece, much like the show itself. There are so many references to other fandoms and movies even in here, I'm such a dork. Kudos to you if you find them! (Most were not done on purpose, believe it or not) I hope you guys enjoy, please review too (if you like of course!)  
><strong> ~th3rdhal3~<strong>

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><p><em>If I could just go...Beyond the sun<br>Where I can't feel pain  
>Where I could just fade away<br>Beyond the sun, where no one lives but me  
>Help me<em>  
><em>Help me<br>_

"Uncle, you're the only person other than the avatar who can possibly defeat the father-lord." Zuko pleaded with Iroh while all of us sat together in a circle eating breakfast.

My ears perked up at his mistake. "The Firelord." I corrected him, separating the rice from the rest of my meal with my chopsticks.

"That's what I just said." The prince insisted, tone a bit more curt than usual. My ears were convinced otherwise, but the argument would have been goofy and pointless. It was a simple mistake after all. "We need you to come with us!" The scarred boy urged his elder. Having Iroh alongside would be a great aid. However, the older man only sighed and shook his head slowly. "You can beat him!" I was sure of this too. Iroh could prove to be more powerful than Ozai.

"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could," I wanted to intervene. Of course Uncle could do it! He was wiser and more experienced. He was the Dragon of the West for Agni's sake! "It would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as brother killing brother for power. Just more senseless violence. The only way the war can end peacefully is for the _avatar _to defeat the Firelord." This had been the plan for a long time, but with Aang out of the picture for the time being, how could this fall into place?

"Then would you take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko looked at his uncle hopefully. This was a man I would give my life for. Iroh would rule with peace, benevolence and honor. This was a man I could follow. Not Ozai. Never Ozai.

The older man continued to stare down at his hands holding his bowl. "No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor." Seasoned, goldenrod eyes looked directly at the scarred prince.

Zuko had been my first friend and long-life companion. The boy was like family. Though Raiden and I were blood-siblings, I considered Zuko to be my brother as well. He had always had good intentions, a gentle heart and compassion for others. Sure he had stumbled; we all had at one point or another. I currently was. But looking at the dark haired boy, I knew he was ready. His journey and all the lessons he had learned from Iroh and others on the way had shaped him. Ursa would have been so proud of her son.

"It has to be you, Prince Zuko." The older teen's golden eyes widened as if he couldn't believe it.

"Unquestionable honor? I've made so many mistakes!"

"You have." Uncle Iroh agreed. "You have always followed your own path. You restored your _own _honor. Through your struggles and suffering, you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation." The boy closed his eyes tight, breathing in deeply. This information and confidence was a lot to take in.

"I'll try, Uncle." Zuko obliged in a low voice. _No, you will Zuko. _I had total faith in the prince. He was destined for greatness and this was his moment.

"What if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph posed a valid question. The subject was still sore to most of us, but the issue needed to be addressed.

"Sozin's comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us." Uncle Iroh informed us. I could feel the muscles in my hands twitch ever so slightly. "Aang _will _face the Firelord." The wise man seemed quite sure of this fact. "When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back _from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again." It made sense why he had gathered the White Lotus inside the walls.

They grey haired man turned back to his nephew. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Firelord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there waiting for you." He warned the scarred boy.

"I can handle Azula." Zuko narrowed his eyes, ready for the challenge. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. It wasn't that I found the situation funny or amusing; it was because I found fault in his statement. I wanted Zuko to win and knew that the prince had great discipline and courage. But these traits alone were not enough to win battles. And Azula had been trained for warfare since they day she could walk.

"Not alone." Iroh quickly interjected. He was on the same page as myself. "You will need help." Zuko lowered his gaze for a moment, weighing his options.

"You're right." He lifted his head, looking straight at the water-bender. "Katara, would you help me put my sister in her place?" The look upon the darker skinned girl was simply priceless.

"It would be my pleasure." No doubt the blue eyed girl wanted a rematch with the princess.

"Kari," When Zuko spoke my name, I painfully raised my head up from my rice bowl. "We'll need your help too." An awful sinking feeling in my stomach began warping its way to the rest of my system. I cleared my throat and set down my bowl in the grass.

"I want to stay here and help take back Ba Sing Se. If...that's alright with you, Uncle." I gazed upon the older man, hoping he would not object. Iroh remained silent and I assumed he was waiting for the prince's reaction first.

"Please Sankari..." Zuko scooted closer to me on the grass. "It might take all three of us to stop her. Azula's power will be amplified, but ours will be too." I hadn't give this simple fact much thought. Would this mean the power of the White Dragon would increase as well? There was only one way to know for sure.

"Zuko, I can't." I told him in a quiet voice. I was ashamed I wouldn't allow myself to help him in his hour of need. Abandoning my future ruler. I just couldn't bring myself to face Azula. Not after all that went down between us. Not after I betrayed her. Not after she had done the same to me.

"You'd be our only chance to put a peaceful end to this. We have to try. Please. I need you." Looking into the boy's golden eyes, I felt a strong epiphany take over my conscience. This wasn't about me and my problems, it was about the world and its problems. No more could I hide in a corner like a toddler who hadn't gotten their way. Refusing to offer my help was selfish. I needed to step up and assume my place and duty in the universe. If my destiny was to face the Fire Princess, so be it.

"Then I'm with you until the end of the line." I told my prince and best friend.

Sokka selected Toph and Suki for his team. The trio were going to do everything in their power to stop the airship fleet headed for the Earth Kingdom. I wished I was able to accompany them too. It seemed some fire power could come in handy there. We dispersed shortly, gathering supplies and readying ourselves for our last mission.

"Sankari," Uncle Iroh voiced his presence before entering my tent. I had just slipped on a pair of ebony arm guards when the older man entered. "I should have told you more frequently how proud I am of your choices and your growth. It warms my heart to know you think of me as an uncle and I am more than honored to call you my niece." Instantly, I opened my arms wide and received a bubbly Iroh-hug. The affectionate gesture reminded me of when I lived in the Fire Nation ten years ago...only, Uncle didn't feel as round and squishy as he used to.

"I only wish your father could have seen the aspiring young woman you've become." I wiped a loose tear from my eye. _So do I. "_I hoped that perhaps, one day he would have given this to you." From inside the folds of his robes, Iroh handed me a bundled uniform of blue and white. I glanced up at him incredulously. "I had them altered for you." I ran my fingers over the soft, yet durable material.

"He was-"

"A member of The White Lotus." So many pieces fit into the puzzle now. The nights my father would need to have Li Ann watch me because of "meetings." Sometimes he'd be gone days at a time. The choice in subjects I was taught. The flower etched into the back of the necklace I had inherited. "He was Jeong-Jeong's student, but also my pupil." The thought was incredible. My father, Makoto Tsong, was a member of The Order. _But of course he would be. This organization is everything he ever stood for. _I felt prideful knowing I was raised by him.

"This is his final blessing." I whispered mainly to myself, thinking of all the gifts he had left behind for me. My voice was hoarse and almost lost in my throat.

"Your father lives on in you, Sankari. And though he is on the other side, he watches over you. Let us win this war for him as well."

The navy uniform was long sleeved under the tunic. The sleeves had to be gently tucked under the arm guards. However, the material was light and breathed well so I couldn't complain. I would be quick, agile and lethal all the while. Comfy, Bistre colored pants accompanied the outfit. White outlined the edges of the tunic and also created a sort of box pattern diagonally across my chest. I was ready. Ready to level mountains and erupt volcanoes.

My cousin wrapped her short arms around my waist and buried the side of her face into my uniform. "Goodbye, Karuna." I hugged the blind girl tightly. She was the closest thing I had to a little sister. I loved her dearly and prayed silently to the spirits for her safety. I had a strong feeling it would turn out alright. The Bei Fongs _did _have a knack for close calls, but we were survivors. We wouldn't be separated for very long.

"Bye Toph." I kissed the top of her head next to her headband. "We'll make a game out of it. Keep track of how many soldiers you take out. We'll compare the count when it's over. Winner takes all!" The younger girl gazed up at me with glassy, blue eyes.

"Now you're talking, Smokey!" The dark haired girl used June's nickname for me. "Say goodbye to your precious recurve, cuz I'm in it to win it!" The earth-bender declared, throwing her arms up into the air and everything.

"Toph, what on earth are you gonna do with a bow and arrow?" I stood with my hands on my hips.

"Sell it, duh!" Was my cousin's response.

"Our family has more money than Koh has faces!" Toph was quite the bandit.

Suki offered me a hug which I gladly accepted. We had become close during our travels and I was both happy and lucky to have such a reliable and loyal friend. "Be careful. All of you." The girl's blue eyes were wide. No doubt she was referring to the Fire Nation Princess.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I half laughed. I redirected my gaze behind the Kyoshi warrior where my cousin sat waiting on the saddle of the eel-hound. I lowered the volume of my voice. "If something happens to me, take care of Toph." Suki pursed her lips and tilted her head.

"Karuna, nothing bad w-"

"Please." I interrupted her. "She still resents her parents. We don't exactly have anyone else." The auburn haired girl nodded her head gravely.

"We will. I promise. Though, hopefully it's one I don't have to keep." The warrior girl gave me one more squeeze before joining Toph atop the lanky, green creature.

Sokka was the last to embrace me. The boy and I had grown close since the early spring when I first met the siblings and the avatar. I considered him a brother of sorts as well. "Good luck and be safe." I told him, hugging the boy closer. The material of his wolf helmet rubbed against my ear.

"Of course we'll be safe. My plans are fool-proof, remember?" This caused a burst of chuckles to come out of the both of us. I sighed heavily, feeling dread creep up my nerves. It was just pregame jitters. All that and nothing more. They would be fine; the Water Tribe warrior was with them. We would be reunited when this was all over.

"I would follow you into battle any day." This brought a smile filled with gratitude to the young man's face and there was a twinkle in his deep, blue eyes.

"And I would follow you. Looks like that will have to wait for another time." We grasped hands and patted one another on the back. This was Sokka's version of a more "manly" hug as the boy had put it weeks ago. Soon, Sokka began his climb up into the saddle and swung his leg over the semi-aquatic creature. I saluted him and he copied the signal.

"Shoot straight, Captain Boomerang!"

"Aim for the face, Admiral Ash-maker!"

As I headed over to Appa, I overheard Uncle Iroh telling Zuko his plans for reopening his tea shop after the war was over. _Count me in for some peach oolong! _I thought, pulling myself up into the saddle. It was comforting to know that while the man was a strong and fierce warrior, there were more important things to him than conquering. If only I had learned that lesson years ago.

"You know," Katara studied me. "From first glance you kind of look like a Water Tribe Warrior." There was a half grin upon her beautiful face; one she usually wore whenever conversing about touchy matters. There was a small lump in my throat which I soon swallowed. I felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Yeah...I guess so." I agreed, avoiding sapphire eyes. That was the only time I wished I had not worn my father's uniform.

"Goodbye everyone." Uncle Iroh bid us farewell. "Today, destiny is our friend. I know it." The old General was so sure of this statement that I began to believe as well. From a pouch at my side, I pulled out a smooth and cool cloth with various shades of green. I wrapped it around my forehead, letting my bangs cover the sides of it. The flying boar was shown proudly in the center. For a moment, I could almost feel the energy of my family line absorbing into my skin. It was time to meet fate.

Our flight began peacefully, like any other trip on Appa. Hardly any words were exchanged between the three of us at first. It was most likely because we wanted to enjoy gazing upon the world still somewhat whole and okay before the storm would hit. We knew that soon it would become something much darker and grim. Clearly, none of us were truly ready to accept this, but there wasn't any other choice.

"What if Aang doesn't have the guts to face my father?" Zuko asked after a long ride in silence. It was a question burning inside everyone's curiosity. It also happened to be a topic no one wanted to explore.

"Aang won't lose." Katara declared. "He's gonna come back. He has to." The last part of her sentence was quiet and lacked some confidence. I could only imagine how worried and frantic the water-bender was underneath the calm and collected exterior. Baldy could do it, I knew he could. He was just pressing his luck with timing.

"I spoke with a past avatar last night." This sparked the interest of my company. "Sango." Katara's blue eyes studied me with wonder.

"The one from the story you told us?" I nodded my head. Indeed she was the same.

"What did she say?" Zuko inquired.

"She gave me her wisdom.," I began. "and the way she spoke about Aang- the kid _has _to be okay. He's just somewhere else right now." The air-bender had probably searched for knowledge and guidance on his own. "But if he doesn't find his way in time, we'll have to fight Ozai ourselves. Zuko, I think it's only right that you do it." The scarred prince looked at me nervously. I could tell since the day he had been given that mark across his face that he never wished to confront his father like that again. This proposition of mine was asking too much of him.

"Kari, you're one of the bravest and strongest fire-benders-no, _warriors _I've ever known." The gloomy teen admitted. "You have more skill and knowledge than I could ever learn and you are the White Dragon. The rest of us are no match." I found that hard to believe. Our team was comprised of benders and non-benders with great abilities, speed, courage and strength. It seemed Zuko had already given up before the fight had started.

"As much as I would love to kill your father," My word choice was poor and too late did my brain catch up with my mouth. "I think I'd need some help. Ozai is over twice my age and he has way more experience."

"Then if it boils down to it, we'll take him out together." The dark haired boy finally decided, voice slightly shaky. A wry smile found its way up to my lips. This was the plan then; Zuko and I against the world!...er his dad! I liked the odds.

"Alright, but if you make me fight Azula, Ozai is _all _yours." The solemn boy tried hard to fight the chuckle lingering in the back of his throat.

"I'll do it!" Katara volunteered with great enthusiasm which made me nervous. "I don't fucking like her." I snorted and put a hand over my eye.

"Guys, this is hardly the time for humor." A half stern Zuko tried to reprimand us. I slapped him on the back.

"I know, which is why we need it the most."

I felt the change first. My knuckles felt as though they were going to pop out of my skin. My joints tightened and my bones almost seemed to rattle within me. But above all else, butterflies scattered from the tip of my skull to the bones in my toes. "It's here." I told my friends. Upon the distant sound of roaring fire, we gazed up into the sky to see apocalyptic shades or orange, red and mauve. A short glance back at the prince informed me that he could feel its power as well.

Soon after, I recognized a familiar structure surrounded by the sea down below us. My gut tightened again and the rest of my insides turned to putty. These strange and awful sensations were definitely a product of the comet, but they somehow convinced me that the institution below was part of my destiny too.

"Karuna, whatever you're planning, _don't do it._" The water-bender must have seen me observe the prison with extreme intent. Maybe she had even spotted the glint of adventure in my eyes. I turned to look at her.

"You know me too well." The statement was almost a laugh. "Drop me off here, chuckles." I rose slowly to stand in the saddle. "I'll catch up with you guys when I can."

Zuko glanced wildly over his shoulder. However, it wasn't because of the new nickname. "W-what?" The boy sputtered, trying to find words.

"We've talked an awful lot about liberation, yet no liberating is actually happening." I placed my hands on my hips.

"Uncle is taking care of Ba Sing Se with the White Lotus. Aang will protect the rest of the Earth Kingdom and we're going to save our people from my sister's reign of terror!" The scarred prince went back to navigating Appa. I glanced back over the ledge. We were passing the prison.

"I need to go there. I have to set them free." I pleaded with my friends. Katara crossed her arms.

"It was sheer luck that you found my dad and Suki. Your brother might not be there. Maybe none of the allies are."

"I have to try."

"Did you find them last time? Did you see them?" All I could do was lower my head and silently shake my head. "How would you get out? There won't be any airships or war-balloons. Why risk it? Think of the guards, the fire-benders! We can find Raiden and the others when we win." Katara was an intelligent and hopeful person, but her idea of logic was different than mine. Patience was something I could no longer rely on. I had to act; I was done waiting.

"Let me go to the Boiling Rock and I will join you at the homeland. There's someone else I have to rescue." Kneeling in front of my duffel bag, I unzipped the carrier and rummaged through my belongings. My hands eventually stumbled upon a cold, metal case with silver dragons engraved. I handed this sacred text to the Water Tribe girl and she accepted it with a certain gentleness. "Hang onto this for me. It's important." Katara gazed at the ruby-red eyes of the dragons curiously.

"I need your word." The darker skinned girl sighed heavily before locking eyes with me.

" I _will _make it out of that prison." I emphasized my promise. " I _will _help Zuko become Firelord." Finally, the healer gave me a scolding look and hollered up to Zuko.

"For spirits sake, stop the bison!" The prince stared at her as if she had lost her marbles. "She will fight us until the ends of time." The water-bender really did know me. I hid my smirk. To my surprise and relief, Zuko commanded Appa to make a left and circle back around. Our giant animal friend complied and soon we were drawing closer once more.

"You better liberate that prison in under ten minutes, otherwise my ghost will haunt you till you're in the ground too!" I could only chuckle at Zuko's threat.

"You're not going to die. I'll meet up with you both soon." I readied myself for the drop. Slow and steady breaths. We were almost at the right angle.

"And how are you going to do that, pray tell?" A skeptical soon-to-be Firelord asked me. I backed up to one side of the saddle, letting my ankles and calves rub against the edges. This was the fun part.

"Creative thinking!" Katara tried to stop me from the insane, but to no avail. I took a running jump and dived off of the Sky Bison. For a moment, I was almost hovering. _So this must be how Aang feels whenever he flies. _The sensation was incredible, and I felt almost weightless. But then came the descent. I positioned my arms into streamline as I shot down towards the prison like an arrow. I was falling fast, yet somehow the dropping feeling in my gut stopped as soon as it had started. The rushing wind flew into my ear canals, making sure the air was all I heard. My eyes began to water from the velocity. I tilted my head up slightly against the pressure. Brown, orange and red clouds greeted my eyes. The comet was still coming, the world was ending, might as well go out with a bang. Letting out one more hearty measure of laughter, I pulled my arms back at my sides. I took a deep breath and when I exhaled, white jets of flame as large as Appa shot out from my fists, propelling me towards the ground faster.

The air against my skin made my hairs stand on end, but the feeling would soon be over. I targeted my landing zone and prepared myself for impact. I thanked the spirits that I had not fallen into the boiling water surrounding the structure. I quickly passed the guard tower and the gondola lines. At the last moment, I tucked my legs under and drew back my arm. My fist made contact with white stone. A large dent with cracks leading every which way was my gift to the ground. Black scorch marks spread out stretched all around me, like a majestic fire-bird of some kind. Smoke lines rose from my shoulders and clothes, but I was not burnt. This was the same spot the Warden had first brought Hakoda and all the other war prisoners.

Soon, a number of guards come onto the scene to check out the commotion. No doubt half the prison saw my plummet. "Put your hands where we can see them and stand down!" One of the warriors in red and black commanded. How adorable. This was starting to sound like a true Fire Nation welcome. I gazed at the crew circled around me. The guards ranged in size and I assumed the same about their skill. I kept my breathing steady and my head clear.

"Take me to the Warden's niece and I won't have to make heads roll!" I demanded. This was war, and I had to play the game however it would allow me to be victorious. The head guard who had previously spoken only sneered. He had probably thought I was bluffing.

"Yeah right. Hands in the air!" I furrowed my brows and stared these dense, idiots down.

"Don't make me tell you again." One of the smaller, lankier ones gulped and his stance twitched a little. _Good. _I wanted to instill fear in these morons. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to know who I was or what I was capable of. On the bright side, the revelation would be worth it all. The persistent guard with the drill sergeant voice wouldn't back down.

"I said hands _up!" _He and his squadron dared to take steps near me. I held out my arms in front of me, almost as if to surrender.

"They're up." I obliged, holding my arms slightly above my head. The fools drew closer still. I inhaled once more. "Now they're down." I forcefully pushed my palms towards the ground and a white flame traveled from the center of my hand. I stepped through the fire and watched it spread the full 360 degrees around me. My opponents had not quite been ready and my attack stunned about half of them. The others that hadn't been harmed rush at me all at once. Big mistake.

One by one, I countered the hits and throws which came my way, all while remembering significant techniques Suki taught me weeks ago. I blocked with open palms, stopping my opponents' arms at the elbow with a snap. I swiped their feet from under them with my own leg in fluid motions I relied on turning their energy against them. This included the fire. While the plumes were hotter and larger than they would be at any other day, I broke through them with advanced fire-bending forms and did not get burnt. I danced across the stone and watched my enemies pile up after defeated. I finally pulled the lead guard up by his uniform.

"Where is she?" I gritted my teeth, voice menacing. The young man must have decided he'd rather keep his head and he soon squealed.

"She's with the other war prisoners!" His amber eyes were wide. I tightened my grip, coaxing him to continue. "Sector 4, D-Wing!" I smiled genuinely at the guard.

"Thank you." After showing my gratitude, I promptly socked him in the jaw. The boy was lucky I hadn't decided to crack his skull open. He collapsed and I stepped over his unconscious body and headed inside the prison.

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><p><strong>Toph's POV<strong>

Suki and I followed Snoozles down the airship corridor which reeked of oppression and tyranny by the way. By the way the boy carefully tip-toed, I could tell he was trying to be sneaky. This tactic might have worked on anyone else but, not yours truly! The non-bender hushed us as if we didn't know we needed to be quiet and stepped into position. The two readied themselves on either side of the big, metal door I sensed in front of me. I wrapped my knuckles against the iron in a fun, rhythmic fashion before sending the entire thing flat down into the room it guarded. From the pulses I could feel of shuffling feet, those inside were pretty alarmed. What an entrance!

I hit the dirt, or should I say iron? I bended the dense material so it acted like a type of armor around me. I had never done a trick like this before and the success excited me! Soon, I heard the crackle of flames and felt heat surround the metal encasing me. It was a little too warm for comfort, though I hadn't actually been burned. I had never been a fan of fire, and ever since Zuko accidentally barbequed my toes, my irrational fear returned. I twisted and dodged the fire as fast as I could. I let my ears guide my movements. I bent an excess part of my metal suite up to where I thought the ceiling of the hangar would be and let 'er rip! I sensed the pipes running through the aircraft and it seemed I had just discovered the ones running up top. I yanked part of one down and trapped a soldier against one wall. I pulled another pipe piece down from above to cover the attacker on the left. After that, I sprung up and clung to the remaining exposed pipes along the ceiling. I was out of the fires' way and used this short break to scurry up above. I soon dropped down and felt the presence of the last fire-bender who had been doing his darnedest to shoot me down. From behind him, I stopped his fist early from making contact with my head-thank spirits! And the result was the control room window shattering. A few tiny pieces landed in the back of my hair but I couldn't let that worry me.

"Hey! Watch the face!" I shouted at him, but from under my metal protection it probably sounded more like, "Ahm! Maamh muh mhmmm!" A quick punch sent the soldier clear out of the room by the sounds of his frightened hollering. Once his body made contact with an iron wall meters away, I knew my work was done for the time being. "Coast is clear!" I called out to my friends.

The lovebirds took their sweet time to join me in the newly hijacked control center. They were probably observing all the damage I had caused. Sokka hadn't screamed or pulled his precious wolf's tail out yet so I must have not destroyed _everything. _I shed my metal coverage and with a crunch it compressed after falling off my body and clattering to the floor. "That's how it's done!" I stood proudly with my hands on my hips. "Who's the greatest earth-bender in the world? Toph Bei Fong! No autographs please!"

"Good work, Toph!" Ponytail sounded thrilled at how easily we had taken over the airship. "Time to take control of the ship. Take the wheel." Had my ears deceived me? Sokka was gonna let _me _drive? This moment was too good to be true!

"That's a _great _idea!" I chuckled sarcastically, brushing strands of hair which blew wildly in the wind. "Let the blind girl steer the giant airship." Boy was Sokka out of his mind sometimes. His voice came deadpan next.

"I was talking to Suki." The Kyoshi Warrior's footsteps went behind me towards the wheel. My face fell. I had actually been a little excited by the hypothetical opportunity of command. Good thing I ad misread the conversation. Things could get disastrous with me in charge. Toph take the wheel! Sure thing.

"_That _would make a lot more sense." I agreed.

"What about the rest of the crew?" Suki's melodious voice sounded from a few feet away. The three of us hadn't gone that far in the plan apparently. Making shit up as you go only gets you so far I guess.

"Take us down closer to the water, I've got an idea." Oh no. This couldn't be good.

"One of your famous ideas?" I teased him, thinking of how swimmingly the others had gone in our journey.

"It may live in infamy." Was boomerang boy's response. He grabbed hold of something near the controls and cleared his throat. Soon, his voice was echo-y and amplified. "Attention crew: this is your captain speaking," The doofus began in a mock authoritative tone. "Everyone please report to the bomb bay immediately for...hotcakes and sweet cream. We have a very special birthday to celebrate." I couldn't believe my ears. Who would be dumb enough to fall for _that?_

To my surprise, the answer was the entire crew. They had all taken the bait and when the bomb bay hatches opened, all the members dropped like rocks into the ocean below. For a short interval, all their surprised exclamations could be heard from up top where we were. I wished I could see all of their stupid faces. It was a small moment of victory for us, but then things got serious again.

"Oh no!" Sokka sounded truly scared. "We're not going to catch up to Ozai in time!" There were only mere moments of faux serenity before an awful tumult took over my eardrums. The massive roar grew louder and it sounded almost as if we were in a tunnel. I could only imagine the kind of terror the Firelord was reigning down upon the poor inhabitants of the Earth Kingdom. Upon my home. I tried to picture the flames in my head and thought of how Katara once described the element. Hot. Bright. Flickering. Sizzling. There seemed to be a new word to capture it everyday. I felt my lip quiver but didn't attempt to bite down or stop it. For the first time in forever, I admitted to being afraid.

Then, a loud crashing sound interrupted my thoughts. What could it be? Were the airships malfunctioning? "What just happened?" Suki took the words right out of my mouth.

"It's Aang!" Sokka eagerly shared the good news. "He's back!" The warrior boy cried, throwing what I assumed to be a navigational instrument up in the air. I raised my arms up to cheer alongside him.

"Wooo! Go Twinkle-toes!" Baldy was back in the game just in time and suddenly things didn't seem so bad anymore.

"We have to focus on stopping these airships." Sokka soon reminded us of our mission from the get-go.

"And how are we gonna do that, Captain Obvious? I can't see outside this flying hunka junk metal!" Sometimes it was actually crippling being blind. My trusty feet couldn't help me in the air. All of a sudden, Sokka responded with such gusto, I knew we should all be fearing for our lives.

"Airship-slice!" A whoosh sound happened after the exclamation and I figured he must have done a hand demonstration to go along with it. I guessed that Suki was also staring at him blankly due to the silence between us. Sokka was a bit of a wild man, but his plan could be the only way to finish what we started.

"Oh boy," I rolled my eyes, hoping they moved in the right direction because that was one thing I could never practice in the mirror like other little girls. "I hope the terrific trio are having just as much luck as we are." It took Sokka longer than I anticipated for him to realize I meant Zuko, Karuna and Katara instead of the three of us present.

"I'll bet you my space-sword that Katara's giving Azula what for-or at least she's about to." That was a pretty big bet. The Water Tribe boy's weapons meant the world to him...other than his girlfriend of course.

"You seem pretty confident with that wager." Suki appeared to agree with me. "What makes you say so?"

"Cuz I know my sister," Ponytail explained. "She doesn't have a deep, sentimental connection to Azula. Plus, she hates her more than Toph hates bathes." He had a good point and I couldn't argue with that.

"This is true. My money's on Sugar-Queen too!" I declared.

"Sure. Let's turn this whole thing into one giant bet!" Suki retorted after forfeiting the wheel to Sokka. "It's not like we're at war here or anything. We could make posters! Or design shirts! Oh! And I can sell fire-flakes to front row!"

"No one likes a sore loser, Suki." Sokka blew raspberries at his girlfriend. Yep. Aang's backup squad, right here.

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><p><strong>Karuna's POV<strong>

If there's one sound I'll remember until the day I die, it's the dense _thud_ of Fire Nation soldiers' heads colliding with steel walls. To my amusement, some sounded hollow and also to my horror, I found myself enjoying the activity. The helmets clattering eventually became satisfying to my ears and I looked forward to making the sound ring out. My fight continued on inside the cold, unforgiving corridors, only this time I would not fall. I could hear the panic echoing through neighboring hallways. So far, I hadn't killed anyone- that I knew of anyway- but the number of unconscious victims decorating the floor was definitely something to be concerned about.

"Why don't you send some more?" I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out to any others who might be lurking about. I was actually trying to be helpful and not an ass, believe it or not. Besides, I wanted a challenge.

Two more guards soon appeared at the end of the passage. However, one stopped short and removed his helmet. "Sankari?" I could never forget Kenzo's wavy, brown hair or almond shaped golden-brown eyes. The question seemed more of a puzzlement than hostile.

"Hello, hello." I greeted him back. His buddy got to me first and it was easy to break his stance and throw him at one of the iron doors. The boy slumped over the lower half of his body, out cold. I was on Kenzo before he could process the situation. Though the bender was taller than me, I still managed to hold him bent in a headlock. "Where's Mai?" There was no need for further introduction. My opponent had once known her too. We had all been friends once upon a time. "What cell?" I held my firm grip. Kenzo struggled against me, gasping for any air that would seep into his windpipe. The boy raised a shaky arm and pointed several doors down. I squeezed tighter while lowering him down and his tomato-red face soon showed hints of purple. The struggle soon stopped and the wavy haired boy passed out at my feet.

I stood parallel to the iron barricade which towered before me. I exhaled a puff of smoke and took a side-stance. "Stand back!" I commanded loudly enough for the entire sector to hear. I pulled my leg up to my chest and then extended it with a quick and powerful kick. The fire from my foot was hot enough to burn clear through the iron cell door. The gap I made was more than large enough to slip through.

The pale faced, raven haired girl stared at me with a look of pure astonishment. After I stepped through the threshold, the silence engulfed us. It had been so long since I had known her; when we were still young girls, eyes wide with heads full of frivolous things. Looking at her now was like gazing upon a ghost of the past. Our natures were different, yet we had both grown into something darker.

"You're a gods damned miracle, Sankari Tsong." Mai finally rose from her seat on her cot. Charcoal eyes weren't cold nor calculating. They were filled with wonder, thankfulness and relief. I raised my arms and approached her, then stopped and remembered the assassin did not particularly enjoy physical displays of affection. I was partly in awe when Mai met me halfway and wrapped maroon sleeves around my neck and back in a tight embrace. After a moment, I let my head drop lightly against the back of her shoulder and squeezed my eyes shut. I had missed my dear, gloomy friend.

"They didn't hurt you- they didn't touch you, did they?" I examined the taller girl once our reunion hug had officially ended. Only a snort escaped the girl's lips.

"You think I'd let them?" Her usual sass brought a smile to my face, but there seemed to be more lacking in the girl's dark eyes. Something I couldn't pinpoint. Something that convinced me she had changed.

"They took your weapons..." I noticed her writs guards were no longer present on her arms. The governor's daughter smirked slyly.

"Not all of them." I could only grin in response. Mai was certainly full of surprises, and mischievous when she wanted to be. If the girl had been born a bender, she would definitely control earth; she was patient and always waited for a window of opportunity to attack.

"Save em for the breakout. We gotta get Ty, my brother and anyone else who can help us." I tucked my head through the hole in the cell door to check the scene for safety. Mai followed suit.

"Ty Lee's in the cell next do- wait, you have a brother? Since when?" I had forgotten she wasn't up to speed with my personal life. That probably meant she didn't know about my relationship with Katara or my fling with the Earth Kingdom boy. Stories for later times. Perhaps. _Or not, _I preferred.

"Well, since always, but I just figured out during the eclipse. He grew up around the Earth Kingdom capital while I was raised here in the Fire Nation." I pushed my palms against the cell door next to Mai's, letting the heat slowly melt through. Behind the door, our pink clad friend was positioned in a fighting stance until we fully revealed ourselves.

"Whoa! Don't chi-block me!" I protested while instinctively recoiling and raising my arms in defense. The braided haired girl's light grey eyes were larger than normal.

"Kari! You came back!" Unexpectedly, the acrobat lunged forward, seizing me in one of her big, snugly hugs. In truth, I had missed these; especially after we had grown apart. "Azula's a jerk!" I wanted to laugh my head off at this statement but instead I only chortled. I had never expected these words to come out of Ty Lee's mouth. Just now she had figured this out?

"I know." I made a face, pushing loose bangs out of my eyes. "She's tried to kill me more times than are healthy in a re-" I paused briefly. "friendship." I quickly corrected myself. Now that Ty Lee and I seemed to be in good standings, it seemed unnecessary to open the door to the past. I didn't want to further upset her; she didn't deserve it.

"She may be a bitch, but she's got a soft spot for you." Mai rearranged the stilettos inside hidden pockets of her robes. I gave the tall girl a nervous glance. She was opening the Pandora's box I wished to avoid entirely. "That might be the key to stopping her." I tilted my head to the side. How so? "You and Zuko were heading to the palace, weren't you?" I nodded a 'yes.' "She told us the plans for the Fire Nation. Her father's plans as well. The avatar might defeat the Firelord, but that won't stop Azula from setting fire to the world in the meantime." I understood her concerns.

"She won't listen to me." I sighed, trying to remember the last time the princess heeded my advice or warnings. In the last six months we had been fighting on opposite sides- of course she wouldn't follow anything I had urged of her. She was angry with me and probably hurt too. Though I didn't want to excuse her behavior, I couldn't exactly blame her. And why would she listen to me now, of all times? To a bystander, it would look cute if I tried to persuade the princess to reason. In her eyes I was a traitor, no longer a friend or lover.

A small hand was placed atop my shoulder. "She will." A wry smile formed on Ty Lee's round face. "It was never me, Kari. It was always you." Light grey eyes looked a bit glassy. I could only gaze back at her, mouth slightly agape. It was both a truth and lie to protest. Somehow I knew that Azula cared about all three of us. She just had a different way of showing it as well as a different connection to each of us. I waited for the anger and bitterness to come, but the longer I held my breath nothing happened. The acrobat's expression held peace and happiness. Nothing more.

"We've gotta get her going." Our short friend looked up at the marks-woman "C'mon, let's go find Raiden!" Ty Lee cartwheeled down the metallic and unfriendly corridor.

"How..." I watched her a moment in awe. "does she know his name?" I had only mentioned I had a brother- no extra information.

Mai rolled her eyes subtly and sighed. "Probably means he's on the list." What did that even mean? There was a list? The tall girl followed the chi-blocker.

"List? What list?" I eventually took up the caboose.

"The list of cute boys Ty Lee wants for her own." The monotone yet colorful response echoed back at me as we turned down the next passageway.

"_Ty!"_

The girls assisted me in my search for my brother. They acted as my first line of defense- like Azula's Dai Li. There weren't exactly any name tags next to the cells, so for good measure I busted all of them open. Most of the inmates I released ran wildly into the halls, rioting inside the building. A few tried to tempt fate and attack us. They soon figured out how bad that decision was. The prison staff were in for a rough night.

As fate would allow it, only one iron door remained at the end of the hangar. "You better be Raiden." I huffed under my breath." I accepted two sturdy, metal rods Mai had discovered inside a utility room located at the beginning of the corridor. What a nice little present these were. I rapped on the surface of the door, making a goofy rhythmic pattern. With one hand, I struck bits of molten, white fire at the hinges and then drove my foot into the center of the metal.

"Oof!" A young man's voice sounded from the other end. The bounty hunter pulled his legs out from underneath the heavy door. Apparently he had also been trying to break down the barricade. It was strange to see him in all crimson instead of shades of grey and green. Even his recognizable white headband had been stripped from him. I was glad I had come to his aid today.

I puffed my chest out and held the solid weapons over my shoulders all macho like. "Excuse me sir, you have some unattended children that need to be chaperoned." I tossed him his escrimas.

"I should have known you'd be the one behind all this ruckus!" He flashed a white grin before catching his weapons. In seconds, I had captured the older boy in a big, bear-hug which he returned immediately.

"I kept this safe for you too." I began to untie the green headband snug across my forehead. Raiden gently touched my elbow with his free hand.

"No. You need it today." He decided, smiling down at me warmly. His hair seemed spikier and messier than usual. I noticed the stubble which had grown on his cheeks in the weeks of his imprisonment. I thought about how much he might look like our father. If only I could remember. "Besides, it'll clash with my outfit." He gestured at his red prison wear. I snorted. The ham gene was strong with this one. We were definitely related.

"We have to move before this place is swarming with reinforcements." Mai warned us. "There's a special hangar with sets of escape boats for situations like these. They were designed to withstand extreme temperature so they can act like submarines." She pointed at my brother and then at Ty Lee who was currently occupied batting her eyelashes at Raiden. "We'll take them to get out of his hell hole and then figure out a way to get her to Capital City." The boats wouldn't be fast enough. I tried picturing them in the water. Nothing would be as fast as Appa, but there were no spare flying bison around. Suddenly, my eyes recalled a sight from earlier that summer. A jet of blue pushing off high into the air- sustaining itself. Had I stumbled onto something?

The four of us raced from the dank, gloomy passage and burst through a set of heavy double doors to the outside. Out of stupidity, I expected a nice, cool breeze to counter the heat. I waited for the sun to touch my skin once more. But instead of a crystal clear, blue sky, we were greeted with a terrible blood-red horizon.

"Gah!" Raiden cried out dramatically. "What did you do now?" I threw my hands up in the air.

"Yes, because I have control over space somehow!" I knew the warrior was only teasing. Humor during this hour was more certification that we were siblings.

"We need to hurry up and decide how we're going to evacuate." Mai diffused our nonsense yet again. "Because the speed boats are halfway across the Boiling Rock." She extended a long arm in the direction she referred to. I didn't fret. I had it all figured out in my head...mostly figured out.

"Get to a boat and once you get out, wait by the outer walls." Mai stared at me peculiarly, probably wondering why in Agni I wanted them to wait outside the hotspot. "I'll be fine on my own, but I need you guys there. Go!" Ty Lee was about to further question me, or possibly my sanity, when Mai grabbed her arm and dragged the contortionist along.

"Don't do anything stupid." Raiden warned me and poked my sides with one of the escrimas.

"I won't. I'm not you." I retorted, watching him quickly exit with the girls after giving me a confident nod.

Turning my attention back to my half-assed plan, my eyes scanned my environment. The wires, the gondola and guard tower. Wires. Gondola Guard tower. That was it! It was if a scene from an adventure tale was playing before my eyes. Roaring, blue flames lifting up, up and higher still. I took in the elements of the prison. The comet would give me extraordinary power and I was eager to test my abilities.

The guard tower was occupied by two fire-benders who were cowardly sending plumes into the tumultuous courtyard instead of fighting honorably down there. As annoyed at I was at the display, it meant that the control was shifting in favor of the prisoners.

I jogged backwards a few paces and then took a running leap off the edge of the balcony. I tucked my knees in for mere seconds, then forcefully pushed them down as well as my arms. My flames fought against the air and shot me up to the tower at an angle. The idiot fire-benders screamed in unison and one jumped into the other's arms as I dropped down on them. Because the morons didn't think to get out of the way, their helmets contributed to their unconscious state; they had both hit the stone hard.

Glancing back at the spot where I had told Mai to meet me, I realized it was a much bigger gap. But this fact did not discourage me, for I readied myself for round two. Jumped off the ledge and applied the same force in my limbs. The roaring fire confirmed my successful bound. My flames carried me up over the gondola lines and over the boiling water below. I did my best not to look down in fear I would break my concentration. I dropped down about fifteen feet and landed on the top of the hotspot walls. I glanced out across the water, watching the warm colors reflect on the surface. It was a different kind of view than if the sun were present. Though we were at war, I took comfort in gazing at the ripples made in the water. Water had been my savior once, perhaps it could be once more.

I didn't have to wait too long for my brother and friends to arrive. I heard the motor before I spotted their vehicle. Raiden worked the controls, with some help, probably, from Mai. Behind the boat, choppy waves soon formed. Ty Lee waved at me as they came around the bend.

"What are you waiting for?" The assassin shouted up at me, once their vessel was close enough. This was a good question and a smirk highlighted my features as I continued to look out at the vast ocean before me. My next destination was the Fire Nation Palace. It was still a great deal away, but not impossible to reach. What _was _I waiting for?

"Don't leave until you know I won't drown!" I called back down to her. Mai raised her arms up at me in confusion. She beckoned for me to hop in, but I had other plans. The comet had granted all fire-benders strength and stamina they would likely never see again after this day. It would give Ozai the power of one-hundred suns. But I was the White Dragon. As Aang had once said, a person's abilities combined with this form would increase tenfold. _I_ would have the power of a thousand suns.

I raised my arms out at my sides, parallel to the tips of the hotspot wall and grew used to the feeling of suspension. My steady heartbeat became a metronome to keep in time with. Next, I lifted my head up to the skies, hoping and praying for strength. _Agni...Oya...Nike. _If any of the gods could hear me now, I wished they would give me their wisdom and guidance. My body felt the kind of warmth that could only be felt with the sun beating down. The hairs stood up under the material of my uniform and the heat rose as well. It was like a rapid fever, only no pain came to me nor discomfort. This bright sensation reminded me of my friends and our times together. It reminded me of Katara. Of Azula. Of Jet. But above all else, the feeling took me back to a time when Makoto Tsong still drew breath. When I had been his daughter.

The loud crackles and hisses caused me to open my eyes. Once my irises allowed light to pass through them, I gazed up at the blinding, white pillars rising from my body. The flames flared as they danced towards the sky, creating a blazing inferno all around me.

"Oh shit! You can _fire-bend?!" _Came my brother's equally shocked and amazed voice from down to the right. I could barely hear his words over the roar of the flames which were only growing louder.

"Did you miss the part where she fire-bent you free?" Mai was quick to retort.

"I thought she was metal-bending!"

I laughed for I knew the fire was searing hot. I could feel the sparks and embers under my sleeves. I laughed because I should have roasted there on that wall. But the heat did not harm me. After all, fire could not kill a dragon. It was larger and more magnificent than any ceremonial or funeral pyre. I watched the smoke rise high up into the atmosphere and realized that I was that very same fire. Ever-changing, enticing, and unpredictable. This moment urged me to go forth and carry out what I was meant to do. I was ready now.

The flames only ceased once I jumped from atop my high perch, and this time I felt the queasiness that came with the drop. Six eyes observed me with fear from safely inside the speed boat. I trusted my bending as well as myself and forced my limbs down powerfully. Only mere cubits above the water, white, hot jets exploded from the ends of my feet. The ripples of the sea grew larger again as the fire fought to keep me airborne. I soon found that the more I believed, the more energy I could exert. I took one more look over my shoulder, as a way of bidding my friends farewell for now. Ty Lee waved and Raiden looked on, still appearing quite stunned and flabbergasted. And for the first time in years, Mai smiled. It held a certain pride in it; that we were comrades. That we were companions.

I bent my knees slightly, gathering more heat and energy to lift myself even higher into the sky. Once I reached desirable height, I threw my arms behind me and pushed out cone shaped flames from my palms. My hair whipped wildly in the wind, tangled with the green tails of my headband. I had never before in my life felt so free. My eyes rested on the large cumulonimbus clouds which blocked the rest of the sky. There were areas leaking yellow light in between the alto-stratus ones and I wondered, if I were able to fly high enough, could I reach the sun? Would I survive the golden radiance? I glanced at the water down below me, knowing the answer already. I could see myself flying in the surface reflection. The waves rolled this way and that. I smiled at myself, hoping to see the mirrored image do so back at me. In this hour of darkness and despair, I had been reborn in the flames of hope. I knew what I really was. Not Karuna Bei Fong nor Sankari Tsong. I was earth and fire.

I pushed myself to soar faster over the vast body of water, aiming south towards the small sight of land spotted way in the distance. My friends needed me. Zuko needed me. I didn't know how much time we had left, but the mere measurement seemed irrelevant now. Destiny was calling, and for once, I was eager to respond.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The italiczed set of lyrics at the top are from the song "Beyond the Sun" by Stick to Your Guns. **I DO NOT** own the song or band at all! (could be cool though) Again, I know I've been asking more recently, but I would honestly love reviews, critiques and criticisms. I want to know what I can do to improve my writing and story telling! Thanks for reading!


	26. Author's Note: Wow I'm Bad at This

**LO SIENTO!**

I know, I know. I've made so many of these "apology author's notes" that someone should just take my laptop away from me. I'm surprised all of you have stuck around and it amazes me that you have. As I might have mentioned before, I wasn't in a very good place last semester. As a lot of you might know as well, that feeling doesn't just go away. I hope it will for good someday, but it's something I have to work with and deal with as life goes on. Thankfully I've been trying to keep positive and change up my routine which has actually helped improve my mental state. (SAD can be a pain as well as any other mental issue)I'm also giving myself more opportunities to write and I've been trying to become better at this craft because there is always room for improvement.

In short, I cannot tell you guys how sorry I am for letting time slip by and I apologize for not being as speedy as others with the updates. I want the end of this fic to wrap up well and so I'm pushing for quality. For me, that can take time. But, with that being said I am actually doing a good job of catching up and my muse for writing is coming back stronger each time. Thank you all for being so patient. thank you for all the good comments and constructive criticism as well as adding me to favorites and alterts lists. You're what's motivated me to continue these fics and continue writing in general.

So, to thank you for putting up with my crap, I'm trying my best to work extra hard to get this next chapter up during or before Thanksgiving break! So anywhere between 11/19-12/1 (I know it's a bigger window but it's me we're taking about) I will not let this become a dead fic. And in the wise words of Katara, "I will never turn my back on [fanfictioners] who [want updates!" Girl scout promise!

Saige aka **Th3rdhal3**


	27. So This Is Victory: Part IV

Author's Note: I should have bet you all a nickel I could update before Thanksgiving! Then I'd have $.15! Anyway here's a new chapter, I really hope you all enjoy because I'm proud of how it turned out. It took me a while to get this one out, as you might have realized. Seriously, i kicked myself in the ass to get this done. Even slacked off in my science class! I did my best not to rush it and craft it well. Also for those of you who might appreciate the warning, there are some **triggering** themes involving **gore**, **death and suicide-ish** elements. I figured I should alert you now before you begin reading. Hopefully I can get the next update up over break-we'll see how things go.

** ~Th3rdhal3~**

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><p>They say the world will end in fire. It holds a certain irony to me, because I once learned that was our origin. Horrendous plumes of smoke and ash will envelop us all, and there will be no escape from the blazing inferno. Soaring above the choppy waves, it looked like the end to me. The dark clouds which littered the sky had not moved since the comet had arrived. The little light which pierced through the shroud lacked radiance and righteousness. Instead, it cast down ominous rays as if to remind citizens of the world of the eminent chaos happening before them.<p>

If the surrounding sight wasn't enough to motivate me to complete my mission, nothing else would be. I inhaled deeply, strengthening my chi and pressed onward. Zuko and Katara were a great team, but I had promised them both I would return as backup. I had sworn allegiance to my future FireLord.

The land mass that had been way off in the distance was becoming closer and closer. My increased mileage lifted my spirits. If I had tried to fly any other day, my energy would have depleted in a flash and I would have surely drowned in the ocean. I had read detailed accounts from fire-benders one-hundred years ago, describing the powers of the comet. It was another thing entirely to experience them in the flesh.

Out of spur of the moment curiosity, I turned my head right to gaze upon the open water. The ocean's activity looked like a scene out of a pirate story I would have read as a little girl. When I looked forward again, larger waves greeted me. _Huh. _It made me wonder if the moon still had such a strong effect on the tides. It was puzzling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tentacle rise out of the sea. The arm was a dark green-the color of sewage to be exact, and soon more limbs were to come. I twisted my body out of the way and flipped so that my back was parallel to the water below. Using my flames, I hovered, though I still backtracked; just for safe measure. Nothing. It was only me and the vast sea. Where did the creature disappear to? Then, I felt a slow ache in my temples. I closed my eyes for a moment, just as my vision became glassy. A loud din, like the sound of a geyser exploding sounded in my ear. My eyes shot open to witness the blue-green body of a serpent emerging from the dark depths. When I blinked, the monster was gone. _What in Agni? _Whatever those things were, whatever was happening to me, I knew I needed to get to the mainland before I perished all alone. I focused my gaze on the rocky shore only a few miles away and blocked out the images in the water. I changed the angle of my feet so that my flames would carry me higher in anything from the sea attacked again. Goose bumps still covered my limbs as I continued to fly.

I entered the city almost the same way we had during the invasion. However, I arrived on the coastal sides, not the Great Gates of Azulon. This angle of attack would allow me to enter without having to tangle with as many guards; pointless fighting would only wear me out and slow me down. I bounded over the large, stone walls surrounding the region and made a mad dash through the city. On the average day, the incline would have made me exhausted, but somehow, I did not grow tired or winded. For the most part, I was focused on where I needed to be and what I needed to do, but then I took a look around my old homeland and what I saw inside shocked me.

People were gathered in the streets, watching the comet slowly draw closer. Some were in awe and others terrified. Rogue benders and other shady types took advantage of their increased fire power and ran a muck, committing thievery and other punishable crimes. Tables and carts were turned over in some areas. Goods littered the ground in others. It was hard to believe that my homeland was allowing such activity to happen, but for some reason, the trouble brewing in the atmosphere led to the bizarre behavior of everyone. It was an oxymoron to say so, but the Capital was in a state of ordered chaos. I took cautious steps forward, but then a nauseous sensation flooded through my insides. My strides were wobbly and I felt as if I were going to toss my cookies. My eyes then caught a worrisome sight inside one of the shops on the street.

Empty, hazel eyes stared at me from yards away. Long, wispy brown hair wavered slightly in the apocalyptic winds. _No_. It couldn't be. This was impossible. At first, his face was blank, but then an ill-mannered grin took hold of his lips. At the same moment, the pressure I had felt in my temples a while back returned.

_'Kari, you don't look so good...' _The young man's condescending voice was too much for me. I hurled my fist forward, shooting white fire at the store front. A side shudder burst into flames and I instantly regretted my reactions once I realized I had hit absolutely nothing. I turned on my heels, figuring someone else would put the flames out. I then came face to face with the apparition, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

'_I'll always be here Kari, '_The ghostly Quin continued. _'Like a little angel on your shoulder.' _The malicious grin continued. _'Or devil...' _I gripped the sides of my head tightly and sunk to the earth as the pain warped around my entire skull. It felt as though I were undergoing Fire Nation torture; as if screws were being driven into my head. How was this happening? How had he returned?

"Stay away from me!" I managed to scream, and the force of my shout caused white flames to rise, surrounding my body completely. Despite the discomfort, I raised my head to stare down my antagonist, still from my crouched kneeling position. To my relief, the demon slowly began to evaporate into thin air. I dropped my head back to face the dirt, ready to puke or dry heave. But then, the sensation left me completely as if it were never there to begin with.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" A passerby crouched down and gently nudged my shoulder. He had a circle beard and wore robes of various red shades. I guessed he was a shop owner based on the quality of his wears. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss!" I quickly stood up and barely nodded to the man before taking off again. My equilibrium was still recovering, but no longer did I feel sick. I had to keep moving, I had to get to the palace.

The small number of troops remaining in the nation were preoccupied protecting and also defending from their own citizens. This distraction helped me navigate through the ruckus without being spotted. As I was approaching the royal gates, someone pointed at the colors of my uniform. Three guards were on me in a hot second (no pun intended). There was no time to stop. I side-stepped and stuck my leg out to trip one opponent. Then, after turning my body, I created a white, cone shaped fire-shield which propelled another soldier several feet back. Next, I dropped to the ground, sliding on my side and underneath the last foe. I grabbed his left leg as I went and the moron face planted in the dirt. The momentum I had built up from the scuffle helped me continue on towards the coronation courtyard, where it was hard to miss the on-and-off flares of orange and blue. The fight had already begun.

It wasn't long before I had shot myself over yet another high wall on the palace grounds. I dodge rolled on the ground to break the fall and landed close to Katara. She was okay! Both of us were equally surprised. "Spirits on high!" The tan girl yanked me to my feet while scolding me. "Next time, no last minute change of the game plan! What if something happened to you? How did you even get back here?"

"I flew."

"You what?!" I grabbed the Water Tribe girl close and helped her hit the deck as excess blue flames came speeding our way. This was the second time I had saved the other bender in such a manner and for some reason it made me feel strange. Realizing why I was uncomfortable, I loosened my grip around the water-bender's waist. I lifted my head up from the ground and peered around the environment. It had been over a year since I had last set foot in this place. It still seemed just as dark and ominous. I could never forget the architecture nor design. It felt like home with a square punch to the jaw.

"Agni Kai?" I asked, helping her back to her feet, but my eyes glued to the fighting siblings. It was the only explanation as to why Katara was not helping Zuko.

"She fucking _knew _we were coming to confront her." The healer was livid. "That's why she challenged him. She knew she couldn't take us all on at once." I gritted my teeth and sighed angrily. The princess had always been crafty. In fact, I should have guessed something like this were to happen. Of course she would sabotage our plan. I had grown up with the bratty royal, it shouldn't have been surprising in the least.

"Fuck." The oh so eloquent expression dropped out of my mouth like a rock. By fire-bender code and creed, an Agni Kai was a duel between two and only two people . Azula knew how proud and honor driven the prince was, and he was so ready to prove he could finally defeat his sister.

"I should have stayed with you guys." I breathed. A large _whoosh _sounded as fire collided once more. I could have been the one to initiate the duel and no one would have to be hurt or suffer. I couldn't believe Zuko would risk his life and his future. He _had _to ascend to the throne.

"Yeah, you _should have_!" Katara shouted over the roar of the flames. The water-bender gazed at the fight again, worry and anticipation written all over her face. Without blinking, she observed the royal siblings brawl. "These duels," Her voice caught my attention. "They're to the death, right?"

I gulped before answering. "More or less." Last time I was lucky. But my luck had a nasty habit of running out at the worst of times.

"Zuko might have regained his bending, but he's no match for Azula." Her words weren't out of spite; they were truth. Zuko had power and drive but Azula seemed born for warfare and nothing else. Even if the brooding teen had learned years worth of skill from the dragons, it wouldn't be enough. Together, the water-bender and I looked on in silence. But I couldn't worry for the scarred prince anymore. He had grown and matured in the time of his banishment. This punishment was the best thing his father had ever done for him. Zuko would prevail and he would come out as the winner.

It didn't take me long to notice something wasn't quite right. Azula's confidence and prowess were there, but something else lacked. Like usual, the princess put her bending to spectacular use. "Wait," I urged Katara. "I think the tides might be turning..."

Azula performed the same technique I was inspired by at the prison; she crafted her flames to act like propellers. The princess zoomed around the arena, surrounded by blue, circling around Zuko and attacking him from all angles. The prince remained stationary compared to her. He carefully planned his actions and waited until she was at a good position. The scarred boy then spun atop the ground, alternating between his arms and legs while spewing large, billowing burst of orange in every direction. One wall was lucky and collided with the side of the princess. My eyes widened once we witnessed Azula lose balance and topple over. She hit the stone not just once but at least _three _times. The prodigy _never _made mistakes.

Then, I noticed something strange about the girl's hair. Her usual, perfect bangs were...slanted? It couldn't be. It looked as though someone had carelessly taken a pair of scissors to it. "Her hair..." I breathed, trying to understand what had happened. What in Agni had she done to it? The princess always had such long, beautiful hair.

"It's cut." Katara stated bluntly. "She looked like that when we arrived." I assessed the situation and began piecing together the puzzle.

"Katara, she's not stable." This changed everything. Her attacks weren't planned out the same way as when the princess was sober, but now she was more dangerous; a loose cannon. Anything could happen in this fight. "You need to get out of here. Where's Appa?" I glanced around the arena for the Sky Bison.

"I'm not going anywhere!" The stubborn healer insisted, planting her foot down firmly. I placed my hands on her shoulders and gripped tightly.

"You have no idea what Azula is capable of. Think of what she could do now, in this state." The combination of the comet and the fire-bender's frail mind was not a good mix by any means. The water-bender would never admit it, but there was a twinge of fear in her sapphire eyes. "I don't want you getting hurt." I would never forgive myself if she was injured because of this fight. Katara held my wrists.

"You think I'm going to peace out and let you two get roasted?" The remark was humorous, but I couldn't find it in me to chuckle. "I know what I signed up for today and I'm not giving up on you guys. We're going to take her out together." I sighed. The Water Tribe girl was sounding more and more like an earth-bender with how persistent she was.

"Okay, we're going to find a way to stop the Agni Kai. Then I'm gonna get my glow on and beat the mickey out of her." I cracked my knuckles.

"No." I blinked at the water-bender.

"Huh?" If I didn't tangle with Azula, I knew Katara would want a rematch.

"You can't think like that if you're going to use the White Dragon." I frowned. What did Katara know about any of this? The healer further explained.

"I read your scroll before we landed here."

"Yes, and?" I made a circle gesture with my hand for her to go on.

"Did you read what was on the other side of the parchment?" This was the first time I was hearing of this.

"There's a back side?" Katara smacked her hand to her forehead and groaned. I could tell she was extremely frustrated with not only our situation, but me as well.

"Yes! Listen to me," Her voice held authority. "You cannot rage in this form." Where did this logic come from? I was plenty angry in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. "From what I read, something awful will happen if you go too far."

"Well what does that mean?" I needed answers fast if we were to be victorious in this hour. Katara raised her arms in the air.

"I don't know! It's not exactly-" The water-bender was then interrupted by the shrieking princess yards away.

"_Lightning?! _I'll show you lightning!" The threat made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The princess' hair had fallen out of her topknot and into a tangled mess which ran past her shoulders and down her back. The power-hungry fire-bender went to work, crafting her weapon of electrical malice. The bolts were large and wrapped around her entire body. Never before had I seen a fire-bender have such success with this type of bending. Azula clasped her hands together, both indexes and middle fingers extended. But she hesitated slightly. Angry, golden eyes were suddenly burning into mine as the princess must have discovered my presence. Then I watched in terror as they shifted to Katara.

This cheap shot indicated that Azula was done fighting honorably. I wasted no time. I grabbed the water-bender and pulled her behind me as the princess fired away at us. It did not matter that my arms were preoccupied;I would protect Katara. She would not become injured because of me. Zuko had to have acted at incredible speeds yet in my eyes, the scarred boy seemed to chase the lightning in slow motion. He jumped wide in an attempt to stop the sizzling energy from hitting its target. My limbs were stuck in place and it felt as though I were dreaming but this was no dream. It was a nightmare.

"No!" The prince screamed, catching the bolt in his arms. I held my breath during the duration of the moment. My chest tightened when the boy did not redirect the lightning. My heart then skipped a beat as all I could do was watch my childhood friend sink to the stone ground in an electrocuted ball.

"Zuko..." His name rolled off my tongue like a whisper and it seemed as though my voice was trapped in my throat. "Zuko!" I called out louder the second time. No response came back. The scarred boy only twitched on the ground while sparks lit up around his body. This was just like underground in the crystal catacombs. Only now, there was no spirit water or any other miracle to help our friend. My lower lip trembled and I did not attempt to stop it. I looked to Katara with the intention of barking some order such as 'heal him!' But all the air seemed to vanish from my lungs.

Menacing, cackling laughter rained down upon us. I grunted and raised my gaze up to the princess who was quite pleased with her dirty work. The shrillness rung out against the walls and side structures of the coronation hall. It even filled the insides of my head.

"Well, well." Her mid-range soprano voice only sent chills down my spine. " The traitor and the water wench." I sunk my weight into my heels and deepened my stance.

"Leave her out of this." I clenched my fists and my jaw.

"You ruined my ceremony. I owe you nothing." Was the princess' response.

"Why, Azula? Your own brother?" It took mass amounts of self control to hold back the tears. She and Zuko had never been on good terms. Growing up there had always been fighting in their household. But to do the unthinkable? It still shocked me. The look in her eyes scared me; the fire-bender showed not an ounce of remorse.

"It's my birthright." Her remark sounded like poison. She hurled two blue barrages of fire behind me at Katara who had been in the midst of running to Zuko's aid.

"Take cover!" I hollered to the healer, who complied immediately, seeking refuge behind some tall pillars. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the scarred boy stir on the ground. He was still alive! _Thank the spirits! _But he was in no condition to keep up the battle. I had to fight for both him and Katara. It was up to me.

"Leave them alone!" I yelled up to the princess who had now taken position a top the thatched roof of an underpass. The fragile minded bender continued to whip both fire and bolts of lightning from up above. We had to move Zuko! If she struck him again, it could be the end for him. "Come down and face me, you coward!" I cupped my hands over my mouth. The princess' golden eyes narrowed instantly and she glared at me. If looks could kill, I would have slowly burned for years. The armor clad girl hopped down from the rooftop abruptly and started towards me.

"How _dare_ you call me a coward, you worthless, pathetic orphan!" Though the venom attached to her words was startling, I ignored her hate-driven insults. As blue fire was hurled at me, I separated the flames in two with kwan soo dos and let the remaining fire evaporate around me. I kicked out a large wave of white which only spread wider the closer it came to the princess. The other fire-bender cleared my technique and charged at me, fist first. After side-stepping, I let the girl brush past me as I pushed her along further. Azula had to dig her boots into the ground to come to a screeching halt. Once facing me again, golden eyes were cold and piercing. I raised my arms up to ready myself for another attack.

"Azula, stop! This has gotten out of control. This is chaos!" I wanted to reason with her. As cross as I was with her and as much anger as I felt, senseless violence was not the answer. The princess' sanity was still there; it was simply hiding.

"No, _Kari, _this is progress!" Azula insisted, sending crescent-kick after crescent-kick of azure flames my way. I ducked, flipped and dodged the heat, though it felt quite hot under the collar. All those times fighting alongside Aang had come in handy. Over time, I had picked up on some helpful air-bender evasive maneuvers. Unfortunately, I hadn't been quick enough and my sleeves caught ablaze. As fast as I could, I ripped the material off in pieces once I felt the burn seize hold of me. My arms weren't scorched, but blotches of red could be seen on my skin. Now, my tunic was sleeveless.

Now that my arms could breathe, the tension in my shoulders loosened. Perhaps catching on fire was a good thing after all. "Think of all the people that will get hurt. The _innocent _people who will die!" As I feared, the princess seemed not to mind the death of commoners. They were lesser and unworthy in her eyes.

"Do you honestly think I give a damn about a slew of filthy peasants?" Another fireball grazed my side. I blocked her fire daggers and kept a safe distance from the royal.

"You gave a damn about me!" I reminded Azula. It showed me years ago that the princess did have humanity and compassion. Did she still have those traits today? She knew my true roots were of the Earth Kingdom, and despite my family name I was still lower than a Fire Nation royal. But the prodigy had treated me like an equal, then something more. Had she forgotten this? Erased it from her past?

"You're delusional!" Came the bitter objection from the princess. She executed a ridge-hand and blue spirals temporarily disabled my shield of white. My only option was to jump high and use my bending like a rocket so I wouldn't fry on the ground.

"Am I?" I redirected her statement as I hurtled back down onto the stone. "Am I the delusional one?" A surface wave of white knocked Azula off her feet. The princess scrambled backwards on the stone until she could pull herself up to stand. Her pupils were tiny and I assumed her slightly shocked expression had something to do with the volume of my voice. In all the years I had known her, I had hardly ever raised my voice near her or at her. But was the other warrior right? Quin? The sea monsters? There had to be an explanation of some sort.

"Look at what you've done," I held out my arm towards the rest of the courtyard. Patches of roof and siding lay scattered on the stone. Small groups of orange and blue crackled across the ground. "See what you're doing to yourself." The fire-bender's lip curled into a snarl as she stared me down.

"Why does it matter to you?" My features softened on my face. It mattered because the world was threatened and ripping itself apart; these actions only sped the process along. It meant something to me because the once talented bender before me was destroying herself. The same woman who at one time stopped me from doing the same. There were a hundred reasons why I cared, but at this time I would only choose one and make it count.

"You mock me!" The princess spat, impatient with my non-responsiveness. I shook my head placidly as if I were in a dream-like state. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders as I let the words escape me.

"No. I love you, Azula."

I did. I always had. Even when she had chased us throughout the Earth Kingdom. Even when she nearly killed Aang in Ba Sing Se. The love was blocked by fear. Fear that the princess had grown into someone so ambitious and tyrannical. I was afraid the Azula I once knew was gone forever as her father continued to shape her into his heir. I loved her as the person I knew she could be back when I lived in the Fire Nation. The mischievous little girl I used to feed the turtle-ducks with. I loved her as a dear friend. And I finally admitted to myself that I still felt the same regard towards her that one would feel about a lover. Only then I realized the princess couldn't truly understand this. Because the people in her life who should have shown her unconditional love refused to, leaving her broken and alone.

Golden irises widened and flickered around wildly. I tried to follow the prodigy's gaze but soon became confused. Azula looked back and forth as if she were peering at two individuals instead of one. "No..." Was all she said, almost in a warning tone, before a searing pain ripped through the left side of my mouth. Though mentally compromised, Azula still struck with the speed and accuracy of a snake.

Her nails cut the skin first, followed by the flashing blue jolts surround her wrist and arm which I could see from the edge of my eye. Stinging and burning sensations spread throughout my skull in no more than a second. The nerves in my jaw pinched horribly. I longed to cry out but the feeling was so intense, I nearly fainted. Her hit combined with the lightning was so powerful, I was sent to the stone and was soon seeing stars. I could feel my own blood beginning to pool up by my ear and jaw. The red would soon begin to stain the beige stone underneath me. The static rushed through my head several times causing me to flinch and twitch involuntarily. My left side soon became numb and though I couldn't feel the sticky crimson cover my skin anymore, I could barely see it creeping up my cheek out of the corner of my eye. A horrible, overpowering taste of iron flooded my mouth as well. I tried to spit out as much as I could while beginning to prop myself up by my forearms. How did things sink to this level? How could I have failed?

Too soon, I saw I could have prevented this catastrophe. I could have swayed the princess over to my side while I was still a member of the Fire Nation. It would have taken critical thinking and planning, but it was possible. She cared for me them and perhaps she'd be willing to follow me down my path of destiny. These very moments could have been prevented and no one would have gotten hurt. But the princess was responsible for her own actions just as much as I was my own. Yes, her family made the mistake of neglecting her. Yes, Ozai only raised her for his own gain-which I hated him for. But ultimately, Azula was in control of her fate. And now, she'd either be her own savior or nemesis.

Katara's startled cry was what motivated me to rise. I pushed myself up off the stone despite the stinging in my mouth. I wiped the still spilling blood off of my lips with the back of my hand and gazed upon this new challenge. The fire-bender was now attacking the healer! The blue-eyed girl ran in between columns for shelter as Azula began striking them down with her lightning. Using water from the aqueducts, Katara road a giant wave to escape her opponent. It was strong and powerful, just like the bender. But Azula was right behind her, with a surplus of blue flames that would soon vaporize the water. Even for a bending master like Katara, the princess had too much fire power and too much aggression.

Because of how I had fallen only minutes ago, I had twisted my ankle in the process. I dragged myself along to reach where the two warrior women fought. My pounding heart was the only sound my ears allowed to flow through the canals in my head. Once the tan girl tripped over some grates, I forced myself to break into a run despite my foot. _Why isn't she getting back up?! _Katara seemed distracted by whatever lay under the grates. But why?

"Katara! Look out!" I did my best to holler and warn my teammate of the impending doom behind her.

"You again!" The soaked princess snarled, momentarily forgetting about the Water Tribe girl and giving me all her focus. _Good! Right where I want you! _I dived over the stretch of neon blue that was aimed at my mid section. As I descended, I tucked my legs in so I could land a roll across the stone and onto the metal where Katara stood. I planted myself in between the opposing benders and ironically, my exes as well. "Protecting your new girlfriend?" The insult felt more like a slap. If Katara wasn't rolling her eyes or dragging her nails across her face, she was handling it better than I was.

"Have a field day with me," I raised my arms up in defensive positions. "Take out _everything _on me. But do not touch her." I wanted to make it crystal clear that Katara was no longer part of this grudge-match. I exhaled, allowing my chi to build up inside. Golden eyes twinkled maliciously.

"As you insist!" The princess eagerly lunged at me, index and middle finger extended on her right. I moved in quickly as well, left arm reading to upper-cut block her strike and go in with a hammer-fist, but then something miraculous happened.

Water underneath the grates enveloped us thanks to Katara. The princess and I stared at one another with wide eyes once we figured out we couldn't move. The water-bender had crafted her trap so that we were encased in loose ice. Looking down, I noticed Azula's hand was only mere inches away from my heart. She was aiming to kill, and the epiphany struck me harder than any steam engine Fire Nation train. I would be dead that very moment, had it not been for the guardian angel from the Southern Tribe. Katara moved gracefully around us, snaking in between the fire-bender and myself in her own bubble of water. She grabbed Azula's arms and pulled them behind her back. Next, she dragged the prodigy down to the ground where she began tying steel-link chains around the princess' wrists and the metal grates below. _Genius! _Eventually, Katara released us all from the icy water prison. Between the three of us, there was a giant coughing fit. Water wasn't supposed to fill our lungs after all. I was drenched to the bone but the coolness of the water soothed the burns on my arms. After making sure Azula wasn't going anywhere, Katara raced over to Zuko yards away and turned him over. I could relax now that I knew my best friend was in good hands and being taken care of.

In front of me, I could see the angry fire-bender's chest rise and fall heavily despite the armor. She struggled against her restraints, which rattled loudly, and growled as she did so. I kept my arms up in a ready position just in case. The metal didn't seem to be made of platinum or anything special. If Azula was angry enough, I was sure they'd melt away. But the princess fought with only her natural brawn. In a twisted way, it was refreshing to see her kneeling there, stuck, at a disadvantage. She had caused so much damage over the last half-year and for once it was nice to see the tables turned. However, I felt more relieved than anything. Relieved that I didn't have to fight with her anymore. Relieved that she had finally been subdued.

"Stop." I said, though it sounded more like a command. Perhaps an order I would once give to my officers when I was in charge of troops. The ever so persistent prodigy only scowled at me as she continued to fight against the chains. It pained me more to see her in this state; denial, submission. I had never wanted it to come to this. Surely she must have known that. Even now, trapped and doused, the bender of the blue flames looked about ready to take on an entire army. I admired this trait of hers. She would keep fighting until the very end.

"Please," My tone softened significantly and out of nowhere I felt a sudden swarm of emotion hit me hard. "We won." My voice felt thick in my throat and for some odd reason, a stinging sensation began in the corners of my eyes. I had to stop myself before I choked on my own words. "And Aang has won." I spoke on behalf of the Avatar. I felt certain and confident in the thought of the monk's victory. Uncle Iroh had been right; fate was on our side that day. "It's over now." One-hundred years of senseless violence and in this hour it was all resolved. "This ends here." These dueling grounds would be forever committed to memory, though no benign emotions would be linked to them. This day marked the dawning of a new era, as well as the end of the tyrannical rein of the Fire Nation. All the while she looked at me, Azula never once blinked. She only stared at me hatefully. But then, the royal closed her eyes and hung her head, accepting defeat.

The moment was foreign and alien to me. This was the first time in what seemed like forever where the princess surrendered. I could only imagine what she could be feeling; hurt, discouraged, agitated, disappointed? Maybe none of the above. Perhaps something new. It saddened me in a way, to witness Azula stand down. It was so unlike her and so out of character, it didn't seem real. But the fire-bender understood warfare and knew her battles. She saw the folly of continuing to brawl and acknowledged she was outmatched. Though the woman was shrewd and intense, she still possessed her wisdom.

The image before me seemed like a scene from a book I might have read as a child. The cloudy, blood-red sky and the once great warrior fallen under a golden archway. It was strangely beautiful. Dark and haunting, but beautiful. The swirling winds only intensified the moment, and I refused to care as my hair began to shift in the direction the air traveled. I sighed heavily, frowned, and then closed my eyes in sorrow. Azula had so much skill, power and ability. What a shame it had been used for malice, control and to instill fear in the lives of others. Her family had hurt her. Ruined her. They had allowed her to become the spitting image of her father and then shamed her for doing so. Her mother gave up too quickly, her uncle never bothered and Zuko resented her entirely. And Ozai- I exhaled sharply- Ozai used her as a weapon. So proud of his little girl for conquering cities and kingdoms in his name. So happy she could succeed when Zuko failed. His love was pathetic and conditional. The Firelord only cared about the use his daughter would be to him. It was only a matter of time until she'd become a tool no longer needed. As I turned away from her, I could almost hear Azula's voice in the back of my head, ordering, _'Don't pity me.'_

Zuko was now sitting once I reached him and Katara in the middle of the courtyard. The water-bender had worked on his injury just in time; the boy might have been a goner if more time slipped by. The scar across his eye would have a matching one on his chest, but it was a small price to pay for his life and the saving of ours. I held onto the prince's hand tightly. He gripped back and his eyes were full of gratefulness.

"Thank you." His voice was a little gravely and it was clear he still needed time to recover properly. "Both of you." The healer had done more than I. She healed Zuko with regular water-not the supply from the Spirit Oasis. Katara alone deserved the praise. After leaving the scarred boy in my care, Katara began to extinguish the remaining fires which burned in small groups around us in the courtyard.

"I wouldn't have made it without either of you." The older boy continued as I protested his statement.

"You would have done fine. You could have beaten her without us there. I know you could have. She wouldn't have had the opportunity to fight dirty. It would have been fair then." With no ways of cheating, Azula would have lost the Agni Kai the traditional way. The corners of Zuko's lips turned up and this warmed my heart, for the prince hardly smiled like these in years.

"Where's...where's the fun in that?" He teased dryly. I was so caught off guard that I hit him gently in the shoulder. I was so relieved he was alive and well. As a child, Zuko had been the closest thing to a brother. And even now that I had been reunited with my blood-sibling, I would always consider the prince to be family. If I lost him too, well, I didn't know what I would do-so I tried hard not to exercise that thought.

"Come on, you," I wrapped an arm around his back and placed his arm over my shoulder. "Time to plan your coronation." It was going to be an exciting celebration. Things were looking up for the world and Zuko would finally assume his rightful place. My knees were bent as I helped him to his feet. Then, a worrisome voice flooded back into my ear canals.

"You've always had a nasty habit of underestimating me." All six eyes were on the rugged princess who had made herself heard once more. At first, I thought the statement was directed at me, but then I wondered if perhaps she was accusing her brother as well. "I find it rather insulting." Her golden eyes were suddenly stable and once more showed signs of plotting and calculating. She seemed a bird of prey, ready to strike. My heart beat fast behind my chest plate; there was not telling what would happen next. The confidence behind her words were what frightened me the most. Though Azula was still crouched down and restrained, she spoke as though she had the upper hand.

I hardened my gaze, trying to prove the royal was no threat to us. What was she up to now? Would she try to snake her way out of this with smooth and delicate wording? Not likely. I may have been mesmerized by this skill years ago, but not now. Katara was closest to Azula, but not once did she look at the fire-bender. Perhaps she was so infuriated with the princess that she decided not to acknowledge her existence. My gut tightened once I understood the royal knew something we didn't.

Clouded, yellow eyes lifted to meet mine of grey. "You've taken everything from me." Her tone was harsh and guttural. "Mark my words, Sankari, I will destroy what is most precious to you." I didn't dare question her statement, for it was a promise. My eyes made the mistake of darting over to the water-bender for a split second.

Katara looked at me with a curious gaze, as if to wonder why I was so concerned. Out of the corner of my eye, the princess rose and melted shackles clinked onto metal below. My heart was in my throat. In an instant, the fire-bender sprung at her target index and pointer fingers extended. The shade of blue sparking from Azula's fingertips nearly matched the hue of the water-bender's frightened eyes. Time seemed to halt for a fraction of a second as I held my breath and thousands of thoughts flooded my mind.

How could I have loved someone so cruel? So full of hate? How could I have given my heart to someone who would sooner destroy her family and leave others for dead than lose? For so long, I convinced myself that Azula was lost and hurt. Her brutality was learned and her upbringing shaped her aggression. But these were all excuses crafted in my own mind; so that I didn't feel guilty for standing by. I understood then, people could be born bad and little to nothing would be able to change that simple fact. My faith in the princess faltered. It was in her nature to kill. She had to be taken down for her, and everyone else's own good. I suddenly felt a great force fling me forwards and my instincts called to fight...

* * *

><p><strong>Katara's POV<strong>

I had been a fool to think I could stop Azula, let alone with scrap metal. I had been banking on her instability to win the battle, but in the end, it proved stronger than we realized. My arms were at my side, about to gather water when the princess attacked. There was little chance I'd come out of this one unscathed, but I followed through with my movements; I'd be damned if I went down without a fight.

_Close your eyes. _My subconscious mind knew that even f I could defend in time, my water would only act as a conductor for the bolts headed my way. One second, I was staring crackling, blue death in the face. The next, navy and white came to my rescue.

Somehow, Karuna had intercepted the attack. She had moved with a speed I had never before seen. I felt like Sokka for thinking so, but it seemed almost like...magic. My friend's hand clamped down on the princess' and the lightning sizzled violently between their wrists.

"You'll kill us both!" There was a slight edge in Azula's tone which I found ironic. Hadn't the maddened royal meant to vanquish us? But she was right; the lightning needed a path to follow.

"_I'm counting on it_." Karuna bit back, only her normal alto-ranged tone had deepened and was distorted. _The White Dragon? _Had she transformed? I couldn't see a physical...but then my eyes trailed to her outline where it appeared as though a white mist followed her like a shadow. Her movements were beautiful graceful, yet meaningful and full of power. Just like a spirit. It had to be.

Karuna threw Azula backward with a strong push and struck the ground with the leftover energy stored up in her arm. Smoke and tephra rose from the stone in front of her. Black soot littered the ground meters around and there was a hole in the center. I backed away out of fear. From the looks of it, the courtyard might not still be there by the time this match was through.

The princess' agility had returned. It seemed unreal due to the beating she had received earlier. Karuna was just as quick and quicker still, countering strikes with blocks-which acted as blows themselves. For every move the fiery royal made, Karuna was easily three steps ahead. Azula would think she found and opening when in reality, she had given herself in to target. It must have been an enlightening moment for the strategist, to be the underdog this time. Things were not going her way and still the princess would not accept defeat.

"We need to leave," I turned to see Zuko limping towards me. I was instantly at his side to stabilize him. "I remember the last time she transformed." _That's right! _It had happened once before during our escape from Ba Sing Se! "It's going to get ugly." I stopped the prince from inching any further. Appa could wait. There was still a war to win.

"Which is why we have to stay." I countered. "We need to make sure they don't blow each other up."

"I wouldn't mind if Azula does." The melancholy teen muttered.

"What about Karuna?" Zuko's expression changed to one of remorse once I looked at him sternly. It was a gaze I often used on Sokka and it screamed 'maternal.' "What about our friend?" The scarred boy nodded his head after several moments of contemplation. He was aware now, as well as the rest of my companions, that I would never turn my back on people who needed me.

Azula was crouched down in the center of the courtyard with a palm against the stone for balance. Her shoulders rose and fell in shallow breaths. She was exhausted, and it was only a matter of time before she dropped. Her eyes were sharp and narrowed at her opponent yards away. Karuna held her composure well, and would look peaceful, even, if it wasn't for the mystical features surrounding her. White eye sockets appeared blank and lifeless. Any spectator would have sworn the warrior was possessed. Perhaps she was. And perhaps Aang would be as well. The spirits work in mysterious ways.

The princess scowled at her unmoving adversary, gold eyes full of scorn. "Go on then, kill me!" She challenged. Was this her way of giving up? Karuna subtly rooted her firm stance and raised her arms mid-level for protection. The battle-crazed royal lunged at our friend with an arm full of azure flames. Karuna calmly turned her body away so it was parallel with Azula's. She grabbed the princess' wrist and pulled down while she kicked the other fire-bender's shin up. Azula's kinetic energy was used against her and she hurtled at the stone below. The prodigy twisted to her side so only her right half skidded across the ground. The noise was like hearing someone rub together sandpaper.

_"Stand down."_ Karuna ordered. Her voice held great authority. Despite the odds, the princess kept going.

"You're weak!" Zuko's sister spat, though the insult seemed to bounce right off the dual-bender. "And soft! Just like my failure of an uncle," I had to retrain the prince from intervening. His fists were clenched and his teeth grit. "And your traitorous father." Karuna's head tilted ever so slightly in the direction of the princess. Her jaw barely dropped a centimeter or so. White sockets changed from wisdom to wonder. Something was beginning to unravel in the warrior woman's mind. I knew that look all too well.

"No..." Zuko's tone was low and almost questioning. His pupils darted back and forth between the two women. "Kari..." His sorrowful look lead me to believe he knew something I didn't. What had I missed? Then Azula dropped the bomb.

"What a shame to waste such a perfectly good vessel." Karuna's father was an official in the Fire Nation navy..._Oh gods...oh spirits no. _For mere seconds, our friend's grey eyes returned. They conveyed every ounce of agony and damage she had ever endured. Simply gazing into them was enough to drive one to tears. I reached an epiphany then and my own stomach was in knots. Karuna turned away from all of us and remained eerily still. Her shoulders raised then lowered placidly one final time.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer." Her voice did not crack or waver once. Her sound was even and near monotone. The tone would forever haunt us.

Karuna swung her body around and struck her right heel against the stone. The move sent a fast surface wave at the princess. Before Azula could fully assess the situation, Karuna propelled herself forward and struck hard with both arms. The other fire-bender's jaw and stomach were targeted and she was sent back several meters. The princess' mouth was bloodied and crooked once she lifted her head from the stone. Azula crafted blue fame in hand to defend herself but it was soon vanquished by larger ones of...red! Azula fell backwards again, thumping across the ground. Now that Karuna was at an angle, we could see the change in her eyes from white to crimson!

"Oh no!" I cried. It was exactly as what I had read and foreseen. Karuna had succumb to rage. The ghostly, white outline around her body was now replaced with fiery red. To witness her use this fighting technique was extraordinary and breathtaking. But now, it was only terrifying.

Azula staggered after picking herself back up. With the strength still inside her, the princess readied herself for the next attack. She somehow evaded a cone of red which expanded in a spiral and began to draw close to the other warrior. Karuna pivoted sideways on her heels, waiting for the royal to be close enough. Quick as lightning, the dual-bender grabbed the back of Azula's head and smashed her into the column of earth raised just to the left. The crunch must have been painful, for the princess cried out for a split second before losing her wind. Karuna struck down fast with a powerful elbow which sent Azula down fast. It was a wonder the princess didn't black out.

"Karuna!" I called out to my friend. We couldn't allow her to continue this way. Nothing good would result from this fight. There was no response, so I cupped my hands around my mouth and tried again. "_Karuna! Stop!_" I couldn't tell if she was ignoring me or really couldn't hear my voice.

The grey eyed warrior trapped the princess back against the stone with what looked like a stone bridge over her stomach, keeping her flush against the ground. Karuna turned over a slab of rock in her hands which could have easily weighed three times Momo. _No, she's not going to..._She couldn't. I refused to believe it. The girl who had shared how proud of me she was for not seeking revenge for my mother.

"She's..." Zuko seemed nearly speechless. "She's gonna kill her..." He was barely audible at first. "She's going to kill her!" Then, the edge in his voice sounded almost frantic and his fingers covered his mouth. "How do we stop her?" My eyes were glued to the scene before me. I had no answer. _Could _I step in? Would her wrath be redirected onto me?

What convinced me to finally take a stand was Azula's eyes. It was like gazing at a trapped animal; someone who didn't want to die. We weren't spirits. We weren't gods. We had no right to take life whenever we saw fit.

"Karuna, no! You can't!" I raced forward, water pouch at the ready. I would not allow any more tragedies on my friend's conscience. The warrior girl turned her body sharply to face me, smoke puffing out of her nostrils. Her left arm made a clearing motion and all of a sudden, a line of stone in front of me began glowing red. _Huh? _I stopped short once the ground cracked, revealing a searing, viscous substance of red, yellow and orange.

My eyes widened as I gasped. This...this was something I didn't could be done. Was this some strange extension of her fire-bending? How could her abilities encompass volcanic ones? I was suddenly brought back months ago to the dangerous mountain overlooking Aunt Wu's village.

"_**Wait your turn.**_" Karuna growled, showing her enlarged canines and incisors. Every moment, her appearance morphed more and more into that of a dragon. The voice was no longer our friend's. It was malevolent and filled with fury.

There was no time for distractions or higher thinking. If we didn't act fast, there would be one more death in this war and our friend would be lost for good. It was doubtful that my water could smother the lava, but perhaps ice would be a better adversary. The water molecules swirled in a circular pattern as I executed the familiar form. But soon, I noticed that Zuko beat me to it.

The prince was able to enter the fire from a different angle. "Kari," His tone was gentle and pleading. "I'm asking you, please don't do this." Karuna knelt over the princess, slab secured in her right hand. She didn't give him more than a second glance before returning her attention to the princess. The scarred boy inched forward slow, as to not provoke attack. "Kari, you don't want to do this." More lava spurted from newly made cracks in the stone in between the two. Karuna's red eye sockets narrowed and were filled with hate.

"Put it down," Zuko coaxed, making complete eye contact with her. "I want to help her." His words came as a shocker to me as well. I knew deep down, the prince never wanted this sort of demise for his sister. He would always love her, despite her negative traits. "And I know you do too." Karuna turned away from him and raised the slab high above her head. Down below, Azula looked about ready to cry. I couldn't feel anything but terror and sympathy on her behalf; given her circumstance, I would likely do the same in her shoes. But oddly enough, the princess looked more amazed than strictly terrified.

Somehow, the prince kept his cool during the whole interaction. "I came back to you, Kari." The warrior's grip on the boulder was so hard, the rock should have exploded into tiny pieces. Zuko held out his hands to his dear friend. In a fluid motion, Karuna swung down in hammer-fist form with her primitive weapon. "Now I need you to return to me."

A miraculous bright light appeared for a split second, and when we could gaze again, it seemed as though the impossible happened. Karuna had ceased motion and the slab remained frozen in the midst of the strike, inches above Azula's forehead. The princess had been flinching, preparing for the worst. But now, the fire-bender looked up with glassy, golden eyes in confusion. The glow surrounding Karuna had faded in hue to an innocent white. Our friend eventually retreated and the bright light disappeared from her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Karuna's POV<strong>

I remembered feeling wrath. My skin felt white hot and yet cold at the same time. Either my brain was moving at the speed of light or I really was capable of reaching such high intervals of movement. What pulled me back to reality was the interference of a higher power. There was an explosion of light which distracted me from my current goal. When I tilted my head I saw a convergence of...galaxies swirling above me. A majestic creature, the color of bone came down from the heavens to gaze upon me. A dragon.

The moment was gone after only a few seconds. What was that? The last thing that I could exactly recall was the moment I hit my breaking point. Azula had went too far...Azula! Oh no. What had I done?

I blinked, taking my environment back in. The coronation court did not only have scorch marks, but large chunks of stone were moved around from the brawl. My friends appeared to be relieved and the princess was still struggling to free herself from her rock restraint. Glancing at the trap, I realized I had tried to hurt her. And after I was going to hurt my friends too. I could see their faces, though they were blurred. But the only voice which wasn't jumbled was...Zuko's.

My hands shook down at my sides and a loose tear rolled down my cheek. Then, a familiar scent filled my nostrils. Zuko always smelled like a campfire, and I found this simile to be comforting in this time. I imagined telling stories around the gentle flames as a child. The prince's embrace was protective and calming. I could admit, in this hour, I was not as strong as per usual. Zuko helped cover for me.

"It's okay." His normal gruff voice sounded softer and almost paternal. "You did it. We did it." Even though the scarred boy was recovering himself, he helped me over to Katara. The first thing she was most likely to care for were the burns on my forearm. The water-bender looked overjoyed and relieved that we had made it out alive. The blue eyed bender took strides towards us, about to initiate a group hug, when her pupils dilated and her mouth was a gap.

I stopped short, planting my left foot firmly against the stone. I closed my eyes, listening to the Earth underneath me. This was a technique I had learned from Toph some time ago. Slight vibration waves reached the bottom of my foot and I sensed movement several meters behind me. My ears were next in taking in obscure detail. In the slight distance, I heard a whizzing, growing louder and nearer; the sound of a projectile cutting through the air.

My fingers quickly summoned the stone below to protect them. Mere seconds later, I caught an eight-sided throwing star, which chipped my rock gloves once I had grabbed onto it. I twisted around as I wound up my right arm. My anger and irritation suddenly flooded back and I soon saw the weapon hurtling back in the direction it came from.

Azula cried out and clutched her shoulder shortly after the flat, steel blades pierced through her armor (and I assumed skin). It then continued on behind her, eventually clanking to a halt on the ground.

My body began to feel faintly numb, indicating it wasn't just me controlling my limbs anymore. Using my earth-bending, I launched forward at the unstable woman. She raised her arm to strike me, but I caught the move at her wrist. "You're not going to hurt anyone else!" It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

I struck the princess' inner bicep and outer forearm with my fists, following through with an opposite directional push. The small crack alerted me this target was done. With a downward side-kick, I drove my right foot into her left knee. The snap I heard was considerably louder than the previous. I quickly shifted positions to evade a weak attack. After gliding past her strike, I grabbed her left arm. I turned it elbow down, pulled down by the wrist and pushed up with my shoulder. _Pop! _Then, I sent a powerful hook-kick to her right shin. Instantly, the princess' stance buckled. I aided her fall by pivoting back and pushing on her chest-plate. Though in my mind, my strategy played out slow like in a dream, I knew in reality my course of actions occurred in only seconds.

Azula's wind must have left her again because no words nor sound escaped her lips. She lay on her back, gazing up at the darkened sky. She lifted her neck eventually, and began with her torso next. The scowl on her face was replaced with a hard epiphany. "What..." Her movements were a limited mess of urgency and pain. Once she realized she could not utilize her limbs, her panic mode switched on. "What did you do to me?!" The princess shrieked, painfully struggling to obtain control-any control at all. The fire-bender looked like a wounded animal crying out. Her last resort was to do what she did best; fire-bend. Only now, the flames could only come from one place. The breath.

The blue shot out from her mouth but the path was irregular. She wasn't able to target anything in particular now. Azula tried again and again, breathing out gusts of azure but to no avail. The royal had managed to turn on her side, but she couldn't rely on her arms to prop her up. The princess finally seemed to understand she had lost.

Azula was now in hysterics. She had been defeated by her brother and friends and her greatest source of power had been taken. All the princess ever knew was victory and triumph. The prodigy was not accustomed to losing. Especially not to this degree.

I couldn't bear to look at her. I couldn't gaze upon sorrowful and agonizing tears. This was meant to be for her own good, but the more I reflected, I doubted my actions. In this situation, I did what I did best. I walked away. I continued, despite Zuko and Katara calling out after me. And eve, despite my Sky Bison friend looking at me with soulful eyes. When I approached the sidewall, I pulled my arms apart, creating my own exist from the stone. I stepped through the opening and fled like a coward.

From such elevation, I could see the land descending for miles ahead of me. The ocean waves were not smooth and gentle. Was this what victory felt like? This stinging pain in the midst of your chest? The swirling winds which made my hair stir in all directions were the same ones responsible for the storms brewing above the harbor. What if all of this was for nothing? What if Aang couldn't stop the Firelord? How long would the comet go on for? Our efforts would be in vain. The stories of this phenomenon didn't do the event any justice. Once balance was restored, I pictured clear, blue skies and a strong feeling of hope through the air. All I saw when I peered over the horizon, was desolate future filled with fire and blood. Though we trained and fought and prayed, nothing could have prepared us for this day.

Somehow, I wound up staring into the koi pond I so frequently visited as a kid. The Cherry Blossom Tree had no pedals to shed, and the fish had disappeared from the water. My safe haven reflected what I was feeling on the inside; wilting, fading, irrelevant. Even this tranquil spot began to feel less and less like home. Looking down at my image in the few ripples heightened my sadness. I looked at the scrapes, burns and dirt smudges which littered my face and body. What good was this? This constant brawling. In the end, no one would truly win.

A searing headache sprouted from the base of my neck and worked its way up. There was this loud din in my ears; like a cringe-worthy frequency. My vision began to split and soon I was seeing multiple frames of the same vision plane. "Gah!" I gripped my skull with both hands in fear it would be pulled apart. My temples felt the most pressure build up and I was fearfully waiting for something to pop. I ripped at the grass around my knees, desperately searching for something stable to latch on to.

_"You can't handle the power, can you?" _For a millisecond, I forgot about my pain and focused solely on Quin's voice. The sound echoed and bounced around the insides of my head. So much so, that it felt the whole world ought to hear him.

_ "What a shame," _The voice was layered and parts seemed to repeat certain inflictions and phrases. _"I suspected you of all people would be more...resilient." _

With my palms flat on the grass, I lowered my head. "Get. Out!" I growled, trying to flush his memory away. This wasn't real. Quin was just a figment of my imagination.

_ "You will never be strong enough, Sankari."_

"Leave me!"

_"You will never be able to stop the raging wars and death unto others."_

"Shut _up!"_ He didn't exist. My subconscious had brought him back for reasons unknown. I remembered from my research years ago, that Sozin's comet had affects on fire-benders, particularly powerful ones, that made others question their sanity. These effects included severe fatigue, temperament flares and powerful hallucinations.

_"Am I a hallucination?" _The voice seemed to be reading my mind. It sounded as if it were coming from the pond now. I leaned down to peer into the body of water. My reflection now showed me with white sockets and mist outlining my frame. _Is this...?_ Was this how I appeared to others in the form? The image captivated me and I discovered the closer I drew to the water, the less my head throbbed. I carefully reached out a finger to touch the other me. The moment my skin made contact with the surface, a hand from underneath submerged and grasped my wrist tight. White eyes glowed red. I opened my mouth to scream, but was soon dragged into the murky depths.

* * *

><p>Zuko found me passed out under the Cherry Blossom Tree. At least, that's what Katara had told me. I was sweating and my body time seemed higher than usual. The prince carried me all the way down to the shoreline, to cool me off. Katara wasn't able to come to my aid at first, as she was taking care of the roaring fires still raging through the capital city. I remember feeling a more gentle breeze caress my skin and the warmth from a yellow sun poking through grey clouds. The blue from the atmosphere was slowly coming back and a faint smile made its way onto my lips. It was the same placid grin I gaze up at the young man with during his coronation.<p>

The Earth Kingdom rejoiced once the war was over. My friends and I celebrated in Ba Sing Se inside Uncle Iroh's new teashop, The Jasmine Dragon. The older man was perfectly content and right at home with his booming business. Zuko seemed more than happy to visit as well as assist when his uncle needed it. It was a little funny at first, seeing them and even Mai in various shades of green. But, in the end, it turned out to be a good color for them.

It was incredible, seeing the capital so alive and joyous. There were tea lights, streamers, confetti in nearly every household and block. Family, friends and neighbors all gathered together for this momentous occasion. I wondered how excited the rest of the world must be as well; to have peace and prosperity be restored to all.

Zuko passed around some nice, hot tea for everyone to enjoy. Even my cousin accepted a cup from her comfy spot atop a table. Mai and Suki were engaged in a friendly game of Pai Sho, and Uncle Iroh serenaded us with the Tsungi Horn.

"Guys! Stop moving I'm trying to capture the moment." Sokka was getting snippy at us for ruining his mural he had been working on for he past half hour and it was hard to take him seriously due to his lack of skill. We all took turns teasing the Water Tribe boy but after a while I noticed Aang was missing. A quick glance around the shop confirmed Katara was also not present. A heavy sigh escaped my lips for a moment before I stared down into the hot cup in my hands. Their lives were different from mine and would lean them on their own path. It still hurt, but I couldn't hold on to this feeling. In truth, there were so many emotions pent up inside me, yet on the outside I appeared to be a blank slate- how Mai used to seem. I wanted to leave, yet I dreaded going. But, I looked around at everyone so happy and here I was not. I frowned again, staring deeply into my tea, wondering what I should do.

"Why'd you put Karuna in a dress?" Suki questioned her boyfriend. Toph snickered from her table top.

"She's gonna kill you, snoozles."

"It's not a dress!" Sokka protested, pointing furiously at his artwork. "That's supposed to be her robe. Karuna, tell 'em it's a robe-" The blue eyed boy glanced up from his parchment and must have realized I had already gone.

I had already gathered my knapsack from Appa earlier that day, in preparation. I kept fighting the urge, but it seemed this would be the only solution to my restlessness. I had disappeared into the living space of the teashop and changed out of my formal robes and back into street clothes. A russet pair of slacks and a green and yellow tunic would do the trick. I could blend in easily and no one would be the wiser. A husky, mid-soprano tone voice stopped me as my hand grasped the handle for the back door.

"Sankari..." It was Mai. Her pea-green and white garments were a nice change from her usual maroon and black ones. There was a frown on her lips, and though we had been close friends growing up, it still came a shocker to me to see her so openly display emotion. "What are you..." Her eyes drifted to my bag slung over my shoulder. "Where are you going?"

I sighed deeply and closed my tired eyes for a moment. "I don't know." It was an honest answer. There was no plan in my head or strict schedule even. "I d-don't belong here." I found myself confessing and for a second, I felt choked up. "I need to go away." Was this my great fear? Being a failure? Being irrelevant? I didn't know. These days, it seemed I never knew. And this lack of knowledge, this lack of understanding was what frightened me.

The former assassin blinked, eyes filled with more than just concern. "Kari, please don't-" It seemed the Fire Nation woman feared the worst.

"Not forever," I reassured my friend. "I just need time. I need to...to find me." The words would most likely seem a confusing jumble to anyone else, but to Mai it made perfect sense. "It looks like I'm taking my own life-changing field trip." Mai momentarily quirked her eyebrow and I realized she wouldn't get the joke. The raven haired girl dismissed her confusion altogether and closed the space in between us with a warm hug.

"Do what you have to. I want you to get better." I held her tight, thankful that she was the one counseling me at this time. "Don't disappear like last time." I nodded my head once we let go of one another.

"Tell everyone I'll see them again eventually." I grasped the door handle again and turned.

"I will." Mai promised. "And Kari?" I stopped, already three-quarters out the threshold. "You will always belong here." For a short time, the feeling of dread and hopelessness vanished from my being. If I was naïve enough, I might have been persuaded to stay.

"Thank you, Mai."

* * *

><p>There were enough resources in my knapsack to get me by for a while. I had packed rations and there was still left over money from our previous adventures. Most of it was Fire Nation money, but I had quite a few Earth Kingdom coins as well. But somehow, I had been lying to Mai and myself when I promised I wouldn't disappear.<p>

I had lost track of time in my travels. I knew it had been more than a few weeks but I wasn't certain how many days. It was easier for me to measure the time when I had solid numbers to go by. The air was a bit cooler and the leaves began to change color. These observations lead me to believe fall was approaching. I did my best to avoid large towns and well known roads. This endeavor was meant to be taken on my own without the aid or accompaniment of others. For many days I traveled by foot, but in some cases I asked to tag along with some local merchants and traders as long as they were going North as well. After many weeks of following quiet, country roads, I came across a beautiful forest at the edge of a vast field. Everything about nature calmed me and filled me with joy, so of course I was drawn to it.

I decided to hike up a subtle slope I found inside the wood, after trekking through it for quite some time. The wildlife within was incredible to watch and here I felt more connected to the Earth than anywhere else in my life. A beautiful Blue Jay soared up into a higher perch in a large tree to the right of me. Several deer-dogs scurried awayy in the distance. This place was so filled with life that it was a cruel irony why I had decided to come here.

My footsteps halted once I finally decided on a good area. The ground was flat and clean, save for a few twigs which had fallen. No leaves had fallen in this specific spot either. From out of my bag, I pulled a small, dirtied, blue blanket. I had used it to sleep out under the stars in past weeks. I placed in on the grass in front of me, and it acted as a sort of mat. From my hip, I unhooked the sheath of my tanto and lay it down on the top of the blanket. I raised my arms and slide my tunic over my head, leaving myself in only my pants and chest-bindings. After tossing my clothing onto my knapsack, I knelt on the blanket, facing the tanto.

A deep breath escaped my lungs and I felt the air rush out of my body. My skin felt cold and tingly. I slowly reached for the weapon in front of me and unsheathed the blade. The tingling heightened and throughout my stomach a feeling of butterflies began. But they were not benevolent. I held the handle tightly and kept it at my right side, adjacent to my hip as I regulated my heartbeat. _Just breathe. _I told myself. _Soon you'll be free._ My decision was not selfish, I told myself. This would be for my friends, who I could never imagine turning on. This would benefit all those who I might have hurt in the future. And lastly it would save me from the trauma and heartbreak of all the malice and destruction I would be responsible for.

I raised the tanto up, ready to plunge down with the speed of the gods combined. My muscles tightened and I could feel this sinking sensation down to my bones. When I closed my eyes, I immediately wished I hadn't. Visions of my friends greeted me. My mind showed me the memories we shared together. Our triumphs. Our defeats. It was so detailed that I almost felt them there with me. _I'm sorry. _I would never get the chance to say these words to them. _I wasn't strong enough. _Tears streamed down the sides of my face when my mind decided to show me Toph. _Please be strong without me. _In hurried desperation, I gathered the power to pull the blade down.

_Running. A beautiful garden. A little blind girl, laughing with joy from being tickled. A warm, comforting embrace from a man in black and red. The peaceful koi pond. A handsome young rouge with a liking to wheat grass. Earth-bending. Sameer. Crackling, blue, lightning. Riding a Sky Bison. The thankful villages we visited. Avatar State. Raiden, standing so proud and tall. Golden eyes. Sapphire eyes._

A blinding, white nearly overpowered my retinas. It felt as though I were out of my body entirely. My eardrums should have bled from the sound which accompanied it; like the heavens had opened up to a new roaring atmosphere. In that flashback, it confirmed what I had seen the night of the comet had been true. A magnificent creature of radiant light appeared to me again from some strange void. There were swirling and dancing colors of blue, green and purple behind it. It was mystical, enticing and wondrous. But what was it, and why had it come to me?

When I opened my eyes, I looked down to see that my skin and burned the knife a quarter-inch down the blade. Not a scratch was made on my abdomen. My heartbeat pounded in my ears and cool sweat had begun to form on my forehead. What was that vision? That beast? I needed to know.

I threw my dagger down at the base of a tree and rose. Suddenly, I was convinced that my previous actions would not have changed a thing. Enlightenment would be my only savior. Through the trees, a beam of light shone down as if guiding me towards something. I took my chances and followed the the rays up the slope. Later, I would come back for my belongings.

I continued up the path it painted for me in yellow, weaving in and our of trees when at last, the land became flat again. As I stood on the forest plateau, what lay ahead took my breath away. An incredible temple of white marble lay vacant and abandoned. There were vines which decorated the stone, but this environmental intrusion earned no disgust from me. The sight of the ruins lifted my spirit tremendously. A relieved smile soon brightened the features of my face. Yes, this would do. This would become my sanctuary.

* * *

><p><strong>Hopefully I'll have the chance to do more writing over this short break. Please read and review! Critiques, criticisms, anything! Thank you!<strong>


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